RIVER      DANGERS. 


THE      WANDERERS; 


ADVENTURES   IN   THE   WILDS  OF  TRINIDAD 
AND   UP   THE   ORINOCO. 


BOARDED      BY      AN      ANACONDy 


rase  t8a 


LONDON,      EDINBURGH,     AND     NEW     YORK 


M^,X^. 


\ 


THE      WANDERERS.; 


ADVENTURES  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  TRINIDAD 
AND  UP  THE  ORINOCO. 


W.    H.    G.    KINGSTON, 

AUTHOR  OF  "old  JACK,"  "  IX  THK  EASTERN  SEAS,"  "  OS   THE  BASKS 
OF  THE  AMAZON,"  "  IN  THE  WILDS  OF  AFRICA,"  ETC. 


LONDON: 
T.   NELSON  AND  SONS,   PATERNOSTER  ROW; 

EniNBURGH  ;   AND  NEW  YORK, 
1876. 


Q)l    ,f    Le*:.    \U  B.^k, 


©Tontcrtts. 


CHAPTER  I. 

OUR    OLD    HOME   IN   PENNSYLVANIA REVERSE   OF   FORTUNE — ARRIVAL    IN    TRINI- 
DAD  UNCLE    PAUL    AND    ARTHUR    FOLLOW    US  —SETTLED    ON    AN    ESTATE 

SUSPFCTED   OF   HERESY — OUR   MOTHER'S    ILLNESS — DON   ANTONIO'S    WARNING 

OUR   mother's   DEATH — THE    PRIEST'S    INDIGNATION — WE    LEAVE   HOME 

ARTHUR'S   NARROW   ESCAPE 11-32 

CHAPTER  II. 

OUR     JOURNEY — THE     PASSAGE     OF     THE     STREAM — OUR     FLIGHT     DISCOVERED 

ARRIVAL     AT     THE     RETREAT OUR     FIRST     NIGHT     IN     THE    WILDS CAMo'S 

ARRIVAL THE   SPIDER-MONKEYS— A   CURIOUS   SCENE— THE   MONKEYS  CROSS- 
ING  A   RIVER 33-57 

CHAPTER  III. 

JOSE    APPEARS — INTELLIGENCE   OF   OUR   FATHER HIS   ARRIVAL — CATCHING    THE 

MANATEE — SEARCH   FOR   A  BOAT — JOSE'S   TREACHEROUS    DESIGN  FRUSTRATED 
BY  AN  ANACONDA 58-77 

CHAPTER  IV. 
UNCLE  Paul's  return — we  embark — overtaken  by  a  furious  gale— our 

PROVISIONS   WASHED   AWAy'— JOSE'S   DEATH BURIAL   AT   SEA — OUR    SUFFER- 
INGS  A   BREEZE — A   SAIL DISAPPOINTMENT- -CATCHING   FISH 78-91) 

CHAPTER  V. 

SHIP    ahoy! — RESCUED — THE    KIND    SKIPPER ENTER   THE   ORINOCO THE    HUR- 
RICANE  TWO      MEN     OVERBOARD WRECKED     ON     A     TREE AN     ANXIOUS 

QUESTION A      CURIOUS    SCENE  — WE    OBTAIN     FOOD QUACKO,      OUR     NEW 

FRIEND 100-126 


774S84 


viii  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

WE  LIGHT  A  riBE— A  MORNING  SCENE — DESCRIPTION  OF  "  GROVE  ISLAND" — 
ATTACKED    BY    MACAWS— THE   SLOTH— KALLOLO    TAMES    A    PARROT ....  127 -145 

CHAPTER  VII. 

WE  MAKE  A  PLATFORM- A  sail!— THE  MISSING  ONES  ARRIVE  — MY  FATHER 
DE.SCKIBE3  THEIR  ADVENTURES— DUTCH  DETERMINATION— VOYAGE  OF  DIS- 
COVERV— A    CALM— I    CATCH    A     LARGE     FISH— THE     RAFT    ON    FIRE  — ABOUT 

SHIP Il*i-1G^ 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

ARRIVAL  AT  GROVE  ISLAND— SEARCH  FOR  PROVISIONS  — CAPTURE  OF  THE  SLOTH 
SMOKED    SLOTH  — DEPARTURE    FROM    GROVE    ISLAND  — A    FEARFUL   ATTACK 

—  UP   AS    lUARAPE— THE   INDIAN    ENCAMPMENT 170-197 

CHAPTER  IX. 

HOWLING    MONKEYS- A    BEAUTIFUL    SCENE— THE    CURUPIRA  — WE    MAKE    A    RAFT 

—  CAPTAIN     VAN     DUNK     AND     HIS    COMPANIONS     DEPART    ON     IT  —VISIT     THE 
INDIAN     ENCAMPMENT— WHITE     NAKARI  — ARRIVAL     OF     MACO— START    ON    A 

Long  swi  .m 198-230 

CHAPTER   X. 

MAKE    A    ItAFT    FOR    .MARIAN    -SAMBO's    RETURN  — SAVAGES —CAPTrRE     OF    MACO 

HE     ESCAPE.S,    AND    INTRODUCES    HIS    BROTHEU    -KALLOLO's     ACCOUNT    OF   HIS 
NATION    AND    PEOPLE — A    NIGHT   ALARM     231-2.V2 

CHAPTER  XI. 

WHERE  ARF.  QITACKO  ANDARA?— THE  SWIM  CONTINUED— ESCAPE  FROM  AN  ALLI- 
(lATnli    -MARIAN     AND     MY     FATHER — BEACH     A     LAKE — A     CURIOUS     SAIL — 

KisiiiNG 253-273 

CHAPTER  XII. 

A  .I'lVrUL  MEKTIVO — THE  NEW  SETTLEMENT — A  MIRACULOUS  ESCAPE — KALLOLO 
MVKES  A  BLOW-PIPE  AND  WOORALI  POISON  —  PROGRESS  OF  OUR  VESSEL  — 
.MKKT    WITH    A    .1  AG  UAR  — EFFECT    OF   TIM's    POLITENESS 274-29S 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

MMIIVNS  KK.Min  I.  l>A.\(JKr.  -TIM's  WONDERFUL  RIDE  ON  AN  ALLIGATOR'S  BACK — 
.M  Mil  AN-   AM>  I   KKsriEt)—  DEATH  OF  THE  ALLIGATOR 299-317 


CONTENTS.  ix 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

CAPTURE  OF  A  YOUNG  MACAW — THE  POTTERY   MANUFACTORY  AND  OTHER  EMPLOY- 
MENTS— -THE     INDIA-RUBBER    OR    SERINGA    TREE— HOW    UNCLE    PAUL    MADE 

OUR   SHOES — THE   IGUANA CAPTURE   A    CURASSOW   AND   A   TAPIR  — MARIAN'S 

ENCOUNTER   WITH   THE   LABARRI    SNAKE — A   LAUGHABLE   SCENE 318-341 

CHAPTER  XV. 

NAMING    OUR    VESSEL— SAMBO's    SUGAR    MANUFACTORY THE    WONDERFUL    COW- 
TREE TIM'S  "beautiful    PIQ" TREED  BY  PECCARIES — A  JAGUAR  RENDERS 

US   A   VALUABLE   SERVICE — PEACH-PALMS — KALLOLO  CAPTURES  THE  CUP.IOUS 

JACANA—  A  LUCKY  FIND — IN  SEARCH   OF   TURTLES — GOOD  LUCK LAUNCH  OF 

THE    "good   hope" "  FLY  !    FLY  !    THE  SAVAGES  ARE  COMING  !  " A  NARltOW 

ESCAPE — OUR  VILLAGE  SET  ON  FIRE    342-377 

CHAPTER   XVI. 

OUR    PETS— THE    GALE THE    SKIPPER's   VEXATION — ALARMING   INTELLIGENCE  — 

THE    CHASE — OUR    PURSUERS    ON    SHORE WE    REACH    STABROEK — WELCOME 

INTELLIGENCE — OUR    RETURN     TO     TRINIDAD MY     FATHER'S     DEATH — CON- 
CLUSION   37&-392 


THE    WANDERERS. 


CHAPTER    I. 


OUR    OLD    HOME   IN   PENNSYLVANIA — REVERSE   OF    lORTUNE — ARRIVAL    IN    TRINI- 
DAD— UNCLE    PAUL    AND    ARTHUR    FOLLOW    US  —SETTLED    ON    AN    ESTATE 

SUSPECTED   OF   HERESY — OUR   MOTHER'S    ILLNESS — DON   ANTONIO'S   WARNING 

OUR   mother's   death— THE    PRIESt'S    INDIGNATION— WE    LEAVE   HOME 

ARTHUR'S   NARROW   ESCAPE. 

E  lived  very  happily  at  the  dear  old  home 
in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  where  my 
sister  Marian  and  I  were  born.  Our 
father,  Mr.  Dennis  Macnamara,  who  was 
a  prosperous  merchant,  had  settled  there 
soon  after  his  marriage  with  our  mother,  and  we  had 
been  brought  up  with  every  comfort  we  could  desire. 
Uncle  Paul  Netherclift,  our  mother  s  brother,  who  was 
em])loyed  in  our  father's  house  of  business,  resided 
with  us ;  as  did  our  cousin  Arthur  Tuffnel,  who  had 
lately  come  over  from  England  to  find  employment  in 
the  colony. 

Our  father  was  generally  in  good  spirits,  and  never 


12  FAILURE  IX  BUSINESS. 

appeared  to  think  that  a  reverse  of  fortune  could  hap- 
pen to  him.  One  day,  however,  he  received  a  visit 
from  a  person  who  was  closeted  with  him  for  some 
hours.  After  the  stranger  had  gone,  he  appeared  sud- 
denly to  have  become  an  altered  man,  his  vivacity  and 
high  spirits  having  completely  deserted  him — while 
both  Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur  looked  unusually  grave  ; 
and  young  as  I  was,  I  could  not  help  seeing  that  some- 
thing disastrous  had  happened.  My  fears  were  con- 
firmed on  overhearing  a  conversation  between  my  father 
and  mother  when  they  were  not  aware  that  I  was  lis- 
tening. 

"  We  must  start  without  delay.  I  must  not  allow 
this  opportunity  of  retrieving  my  fallen  fortunes  to 
pass  by,"  I  heard  my  father  observe,  as  he  pointed  to 
a  paragraph  in  a  newspaper  which  he  held  in  his  hand. 
''  The  Spanish  Government  have  passed  an  edict,  per- 
mitting all  foreigners  of  the  Roman  Catholic  religion 
to  establish  themselves  in  the  beautiful  and  fertile 
island  of  Trinidad,  where  they  are  to  be  protected  for 
five  years  from  being  pursued  for  debts  incurred  in 
the  places  they  have  quitted.  Now,  if  we  can  manage 
to  get  there  in  safety,  my  creditors  will  be  unable  to 
touch  me,  and  I  shall  soon  have  the  means  of  paying 
my  debts  and  recovering  the  position  I  have  lost." 

''  But,  my  dear  husband,  it  would  soon  be  discovered 
that  we  are  not  Roman  Catholics  ;  and  we  should  be 
placed  in  an  embarrassing,  if  not  in  a  dangerous  posi- 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  LEAVING  HOME.  13 

tion,  were  we  to  do  as  you  propose,"  observed  my 
mother  in  a  tone  of  expostulation.  ''  You  would  not, 
surely,  have  us  conform,  even  outwardly,  to  a  religion 
in  which  we  have  no  faith  ?  " 

"  Depend  on  it,  no  questions  will  be  asked,  as  it 
will  be  taken  for  granted  that  all  persons  settling  in 
the  island  belong  to  the  ordinary  form  of  religion 
sanctioned  by  the  Government,"  answered  my  father. 

My  mother  sighed,  for  she  saw  that  my  father  was 
wrong,  and  that,  blinded  like  Lot  of  old  by  his  desire 
to  obtain  worldly  advantages,  he  was  ready  to  sacrifice 
the  religious  principles  he  professed.  I  am  compelled, 
though  with  much  pain,  to  write  this. 

It  was  settled  that  we  should  start  at  once  for  Balti- 
more, to  embark  on  board  a  vessel  bound  from  that 
place  to  Trinidad.  Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur  were  to 
remain  behind  to  arrange  my  father's  affairs,  and  to 
follow  us  as  soon  as  possible. 

The  only  other  person  to  whom  my  father  made 
known  his  intentions,  was  Timothy  Nolan,  who  had 
come  out  with  him  from  Old  Ireland,  when  quite  a 
boy,  as  his  servant. 

"  I  must  leave  you  behind,  Tim  ;  but  you  will  easily 
find  a  far  better  situation  than  mine,  though  I  shall  be 
sorry  to  lose  you,"  said  my  father,  after  telling  him  of 
his  intentions. 

'*  Shure  your  honour  won't  be  after  thinking  that  I 
would  consent  to  lave  you,  and  the  dear  young  lady 


14  ON  BOARD  THE  ''LOYAL  BRITON." 

and  Master  Guy,  with  no  one  at  all  at  all  to  take  care 
of  them,"  answered  Tim.  "It's  myself  would  be 
miserable  entirely,  if  I  did  that  same.  It  isn't  the 
wages  I'd  be  after  asking,  for  to  make  your  honour 
doubt  about  the  matter.  The  pleasure  of  serving  you 
in  the  days  of  trouble  will  be  pay  enough  ;  only  just 
say  I  may  go,  master  dear,  and  shure  I'll  be  gTateful 
to  ye  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart." 

My  father  could  not  resist  Tim's  earnest  entreaties, 
and  so  it  was  aoreed  that  he  should  form  one  of  the 

o 

party. 

It  was  a  sad  day  for  us  all  when  we  set  out  on  that 
rapid  journey  southward  in  the  waggon,  without  wish- 
ing good-bye  to  any  one.  Baltimore,  however,  was 
safely  reached,  and  without  delay  we  got  on  board 
the  good  ship  the  Loyal  Briton,  which  immediately 
set  sail. 

My  father  seemed  to  breathe  more  freely  when  we 
were  clear  of  the  harbour.  Our  chief  consolation  was, 
that  Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur  would  soon  rejoin  us,  as 
they  expected  to  be  ready  for  the  next  ship — to  sail  in 
about  a  month — and  they  would  not  have  the  difficulty 
in  getting  off  Avhich  my  father  had  experienced.  It 
is  a  satisfaction  to  me  to  believe  that,  had  they  not 
been  able  to  remain  behind  to  make  arrangements  with 
his  creditors,  my  father  would  not  have  left  the  country 
in  the  secret  way  he  did  ;  but  the  laws  in  those  days 
were  very  severe,  and  had  he  not  escaped,  he  might 


OUR  VOYAGE.  15 

have  been  shut  up  in  prison  without  the  means  being 
allowed  him  of  pa3dng  his  debts,  while  we  all  should 
have  been  well-nigh  reduced  to  penury.  Had  such, 
however,  been  the  case,  I  am  very  sure  that  Uncle 
Paul  and  Arthur  would  have  done  their  utmost  to  sup- 
port my  mother  and  Marian,  while  I  might  soon  have 
been  able  to  obtain  employment.  This  is  a  subject, 
however,  I  would  rather  not  dwell  upon.  Whether 
m}^  father  acted  wrongly  or  rightly,  it  is  not  for  me  to 
decide  ;  but  I  hold  to  the  opinion  that  a  man  under 
such  circumstances  should  remain,  and  boldly  face  all 
difficulties. 

We  had  a  prosperous  voyage,  and  my  father  and 
mother  appeared  to  recover  their  spirits.  Marian  and 
I  enjoyed  it  excessively,  as  it  was  the  first  time  we 
had  been  on  the  sea.  We  took  delie^ht  in  watchinsj 
the  strange  fish  which  came  swimming  round  the  ship, 
or  which  gambolled  on  the  waves,  or  the  birds  which 
circled  overhead ;  or  in  gazing  by  night  at  the  countless 
stars  in  the  clear  heavens,  or  at  the  phosphorescence 
which  at  times  covered  the  ocean,  making  it  appear  as 
if  it  had  been  changed  into  a  sea  of  fire. 

At  length  we  sighted  the  northern  shore  of  the  island 
which  for  a  time  was  to  be  our  home.  As  we  drew 
near  we  gazed  at  it  with  deep  interest,  but  were  sadly 
disappointed  on  seeing  only  a  lofty  ridge  of  barren 
rocks  rising  out  of  the  water,  and  extending  from  east 
to  west. 


IG 


THE  ''DRAGONS    MOUTHS." 


"  Shurc  it  would  be  a  hard  matter  to  grow  sugar  or 
coffee  on  that  sort  of  ground  !  "  exclaimed  Tim,  point- 
ing towards  the  unattractive-looking  coast. 

"  Stay  till  we  pass  through  the  '  Dragons'  Mouths ' 
and  enter  the  Gulf  of  Paria,"  observed  the  captain. 
"  You  will  have  reason  to  alter  your  opinion  then,  my 
lad." 

We  stood  on  with  a  fair  and  fresh  breeze  through 
the  "  Boca  Grande,"  one  of  the  entrances  into  the  gulf, 
when  a  .scene  more  beautiful  than  X  had  ever  before 
beheld  burst  on  our  view.  On  our  right  hand  appeared 
the  mountains  of  Cumana,  on  the  mainland  of  South 
America,  their  summits  towering  to  the  clouds ;  on 
our  left  rose  up  the  lofty  precipices  of  Trinidad, 
covered  to  their  topmost  height  with  numerous  trees, 
their  green  foliage  contrasting  with  the  intense  blue 
of  the  sky.  The  shore,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
was  fringed  with  mangrove-trees,  their  branches  dip- 
ping into  the  sea.  Astern  were  the  four  entrances  to 
the  bay,  called  by  Columbus  the  'Dragons'  Mouths,' 
with  verdant  craggy  isles  between  them ;  while  on 
our  larboard  bow,  the  western  shore  of  the  island  ex- 
tended as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  with  ranges  of 
green  hills  intersected  by  valleys  with  glittering 
streams  like  chains  of  silver  running  down  their  sides, 
towards  the  azure  waters  of  the  o-ulf 

o 

We  brought  up  in  Chagaramus  Bay,  the  then  chief 
\K)Yt  of  Trinidad,  and  the  next  morning  we  went  on 

(540) 


A  CACAO  TLANTATION.  17 

shore  at  Port  Royal ;  for  Port  of  Spain,  the  present 
capital^  was  at  that  time  but  a  small  fishing-village. 
Several  other  vessels  having  arrived  about  the  same 
time,  there  was  much  bustle  in  the  place  ;  and  although 
numerous  monks  were  moving  about,  no  questions 
were  asked  at  my  father  as  to  the  religion  he  professed. 
It  was,  as  he  had  supposed  would  be  the  case,  taken 
for  granted  that  we  were,  like  the  rest  of  the  people, 
Roman  Catholics. 

He  lost  no  time  in  selecting  an  estate  at  the 
northern  end  of  the  island,  near  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tains, well  watered  by  several  streams,  which  de- 
scended from  the  heights  above.  A  mere  nominal 
rent  was  asked,  and  he  had  the  privilege  of  paying 
for  it  by  instalments  whenever  he  should  have  obtained 
the  means  of  doing  so.  Considering  this  a  great 
advantage,  he  had  sanguine  hopes  of  success.  He  at 
once  commenced  a  cacao  plantation,  of  which  some 
already  existed  in  the  island.  It  is  a  tree  somewhat 
resembling  the  English  cherry-tree,  and  is  about  fifteen 
feet  in  height,  flourishing  best  in  new  soil  near  the 
margin  of  a  river.  It  requires,  however,  shelter  from 
strong  sunshine  or  violent  winds.  For  this  purpose 
"plantain"  or  coral-bean  trees  are  planted  between 
every  second  row  ;  and  these,  quickly  shooting  up  above 
the  cacao-trees,  afford  the  most  luxuriant  appearance 
to  a  plantation,  their  long  bare  stems  being  contrasted 
strongly  with  the  rich  green  of  the  cacao  below.    Nut- 

(540)  2 


13  SUCCESSFUL  UNDERTAKINGS. 

meg,  cinnamon,  and  clove  plantations  were  also  formed  ; 
indeed,  the  utmost  pains  were  taken  to  make  the 
ground  productive. 

Some  progress  had  been  made  in  the  work  before 
the  arrival  of  Uncle  Paul  and  our  cousin  Arthur.  They 
liad  been  delayed  longer  than  we  had  expected,  and 
we  were  for  some  time  anxiously  looking  out  for  them. 
We  were  consequently  delighted  when  at  length  they 
appeared.  Marian  threw  her  arms  round  Arthur's  neck, 
and  irave  him  the  welcome  of  a  sister,  for  she  loved 
him  dearly. 

Uncle  Paul  complimented  our  father  on  the  energy 
ho  had  displayed,  and  expressed  his  wonder  that  so 
much  had  been  done. 

"  ^ly  success  is  mainly  owing  to  the  way  in  which 
I  treat  those  whom  I  employ,"  he  answered.  "  The 
natives  especially  flock  here  in  numbers,  and  are  more 
ready  to  labour  for  me  than  for  anybody  else  in  the 
neighbourhood." 

With  the  assistance  of  Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur,  still 
greater  progress  was  made.  They  also  established  a 
house  of  business  in  Port  Ro3^al,  of  which  Uncle  Paul 
took  the  cliief  management,  while  Arthur  and  I  as- 
sisted. We  exported  numerous  articles,  and  among  other 
l)roduce  we  shipped  a  considerable  quantity  of  timber  ; 
for  magnificent  trees,  fit  for  ship-building  and  other 
])urposes,  gi'ew  in  the  island — the  red  cedar  and  several 
species  of  |)alms  being  especially  magnificent.      Alto- 


OUR  PEINCIPLES  SUSPECTED.  19 

gether,  our  house  was  looked  upon  as  the  most  flourish- 
ing in  the  island,  and,  as  might  have  been  expected,  we 
somewhat  excited  the  jealousy  of  several  of  the  native 
merchants.  Our  father,  however,  cared  nothing  for 
this,  and  dared  the  Spaniards  to  do  their  worst. 

Necessity  made  Uncle  Paul,  Arthur,  and  me  live,  dur- 
ing the  week-days,  in  the  town,  but  we  returned  home 
every  Saturday,  where  we  received  an  affectionate  wel- 
come from  my  mother  and  Marian.  It  was,  conse- 
quently, not  remarked  in  the  town  that  we  did  not 
attend  mass;  and  as  our  house  was  at  some  distance 
from  any  church,  we  had  a  sufficient  excuse  for  not 
going  to  one  on  the  Sunday.  We  were  aware,  however, 
that  the  Inquisition  existed  in  the  island,  though  we 
could  not  ascertain  who  were  the  persons  immediately 
connected  with  it.  There  were,  we  observed,  in  pro- 
poriion  to  the  population,  a  very  large  number  of 
priests  and  friars,  some  of  whom  were  constantly  visit- 
inor  the  houses  in  the  town  and  neiofhbourhood  ;  but 
as  we  left  our  lodging  at  an  early  hour  every  day  for 
the  counting-house,  and  seldom  returned  till  late  in  the 
evening,  we  had  not  hitherto  been  interfered  with. 

One  Saturday  evening  we  were  returning  homeward, 
when  we  overtook  a  friar  amblino^  alonoj  on  his  mule. 
We  saluted  him  in  the  customary  fashion,  and  were 
passing  on,  when  he  stopped  Uncle  Paul  by  asking  a 
question  which  took  some  time  to  answer.  The  friar 
then,  urging  on  his  beast,  kept  pace  with  us.      Arthur 


20  AN  UNWELCOME  COMPANION. 

and  I  had  dropped  a  little  behind,  so  that  we  could  only 
partly  hear  what  Avas  said,  but  enough  of  the  conver- 
sation reached  us  to  let  us  know  that  the  friar  was 
talking  about  religious  matters,  and  was  apparently 
endeavouring  to  draw  out  our  uncle's  opinions.  He  was 
always  frank  and  truthful,  so  we  knew  that  he  would 
lind  it  a  difficult  task  to  parry  the  friar's  questions. 

"  I  feel  almost  certain  that  the  friar  knew  we  should 
pass  this  wa}^  and  came  on  purpose  to  fall  in  with  us," 
observed  Arthur.  "  I  wish  -  that  Uncle  Paul  had 
galloped  on  without  answering  him.  I  don't  like  the 
tone  of  his  voice,  though  he  smiles,  and  speaks  so 
softly." 

"  Nor  do  I,"  I  replied.  "  I  only  hope  that  he  won't 
come  and  talk  with  us." 

"  If  he  does,  we  must  give  him  short  answers,  and 
say  that  the  matter  is  too  deep  for  us,"  observed 
Arthur.  "  We  may  perhaps  puzzle  him  slightly,  and 
at  the  worst  make  him  suppose  that  we  are  very  ill 
informed  on  religious  matters  ;  but  we  must  be  cauti- 
ous what  we  say." 

.  Uncle  Paul  had  from  the  hrst  been  endeavouring  in 
vain  to  get  ahead  of  the  friar  without  appearing  rude, 
but  he  did  not  succeed  till  the  latter  had  got  out  of 
him  all  the  information  he  wanted.  The  friar  then 
allowed  his  mule  to  drop  in  between  us,  and  at  once 
addressed  Arthur  in  a  friendly  Avay — inquiring  of  him 
hoM'  often  he  had  attended  mass  since  his  arrival,  and 


UNSATISFACTORY  ANSWERS.  21 

who  was  his  father  confessor.  Arthur  replied  that,  as 
he  spent  every  Sunday  in  the  country,  and  was  occupied 
the  whole  of  each  week-day  in  business,  he  had  to  confess 
that  he  had  not  paid  due  attention  to  such  matters." 

"  And  you,"  said  the  friar  to  me, — ''  are  you 
equally  careless  ?  " 

"I  hope  that  I  am  not  careless,"  I  answered  ;  "but 
we  Englishmen  are  not  brought  up  exactly  like 
Spaniards,  and  consequently  you  may  not  understand 
us  clearly." 

''All  true  Catholics  are  the  same,"  remarked  the 
friar.  "  You  may  expect  a  visit  before  long  from  the 
Superior  of  my  Order  to  inquire  into  your  religious 
condition,  which  appears  to  me  unsatisfactory.  Good- 
<iay,  young  gentlemen  ;  I  cannot  give  you  my  blessing 
till  I  know  more  about  you." 

Bowing  to  the  friar,  who,  having  gained  all  the  in- 
formation he  required,  now  reined  in  his  mule,  we  rode 
on  to  rejoin  Uncle  Paul.  Arthur  laughed.  "  I  think 
we  have  somewhat  puzzled  the  old  fellow,"  he  observed. 

''  Depend  upon  it,  though,  that  we  shall  before  long 
receive  the  visit  he  promises  from  his  Superior,  wdio 
may  manage  by  some  means  or  other  to  find  out  the 
truth,"  I  remarked. 

Though  Uncle  Paul  made  light  of  the  matter,  too,  I 
saw  that  he  was  not  altogether  comfortable  about  it. 

As  soon  as  we  arrived,  I  told  my  father  and  mother 
and  Marian,  that  they  might  be  prepared. 


22  A  TRIAL  OF  FAITF. 

"We  must  not  be  entrapped  by  him/'  said  my 
father ;  "  and  I  will  show  my  zeal  by  offering  to  assist 
in  building  a  chapel  in  the  neighbourhood." 

"  I  will  not  deny  the  truth,"  said  my  mother,  with 
tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  Nor  will  I,"  exclaimed  Marian. 

My  father  looked  annoyed.  "You  must  try  then 
and  keep  out  of  the  way  of  the  man,"  he  said.  ''I 
will  manage  him,  should  he  come." 

I  aftei-wards  had  a  conversation  with  my  young  sister. 
"  It  will  be  cowardly  and  disgraceful  to  deny  our  faith," 
she  said.  "  Let  me  entreat  you,  Guy,  not  to  do  so, 
whatever  may  be  the  consequences.  Our  father  is  still 
uiilia])pily  blinded  by  the  hope  of  securing  worldly  ad- 
vantages, or  he  w^ould  not  think  of  acting  as  he  pro- 
poses. He  may  thus  secure  his  own  safety,  and  per- 
haps, for  his  sake,  the  inquisitors  may  not  interfere 
with  us;  but  if  they  do,  let  ns  pray  that  we  may 
be  lirm.  It  is  very,  very,  very  sad,  and  will  break 
our  poor  mother's  heart,  for  she  already  feels  dreadfully 
the  position  in  which  we  are  placed.  Oh,  what  shall 
Ave  do  ?  " 

"  Trust  in  God,"  said  Arthur,  who  just  then  came 
into  the  room,  and  had  overheard  Marian's  last  remark. 
"  My  uncle  is  und()ul)tedly  wrong,  and  had  I  known 
before  we  left  home  the  state  of  affairs  in  this  island, 
and  what  we  were  to  encounter,  I  would  have  im- 
plored  him  not  to  come  to  Trinidad;   however,  as  we 


our.  VARIOUS  RESOLVES.  23 

are  here,  wq  raust  seek  for  guidance  how  to  act  should 
we,  as  I  fear  we  shall,  be  questioned  as  to  our  religious 
belief" 

We  three  talked  the  matter  over,  and  determined, 
if  questioned,  to  acknowledge  ourselves  Protestants, 
and  refuse  to  attend  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  We 
felt  sure  that  Uncle  Paul  would  agree  with  us,  and 
we  proposed  to  get  him  to  speak  to  our  mother. 

We  were  not  disappointed  in  Uncle  Paul's  reply. 
He  blamed  himself  greatly  for  having  yielded  to  our 
father's  persuasions,  and  consented  to  urge  on  our 
mother  the  duty  of  adhering  firmly  to  her  religious 
convictions. 

On  Monday  morning.  Uncle  Paul,  Arthur,  and  I  set 
off  to  return  to  the  city.  On  the  way  our  uncle  told 
us  that  our  mother  had  solemnly  promised  him  not  to 
change  her  religion,  and  to  suffer  anything  rather  than 
be  induced  to  do  so.  He  had  also  spoken  to  our  father, 
who  seemed  very  anxious,  but  who  declared  that,  rather 
than  abandon  his  estate  and  the  prospect  of  retrieving 
his  fortunes,  he  would  conform  outwardly,  if  necessary, 
to  the  religion  of  the  country  ;  but  that  he  would 
allow  us,  if  we  desired  it,  to  quit  the  island. 

We  reached  the  town,  and  carried  on  business  as 
usual,  without  any  interference  from  the  officials  of  the 
Inquisition. 

We  were  about  to  leave  our  place  of  business  on 
YV^ednesday  evening,  when  Tim  arrived  with  a  message 


24  ALARMING  NEWS. 

from  my  father,  summoning  us  home  on  account  of 
the  dangerous  illness  of  my  mother.  We  immediately 
ordered  our  horses  and  rode  off,  accompanied  by  Don 
Antonio,  a  physician  of  great  repute,  to  whom  our 
uncle,  on  receiving  the  intelligence,  forthwith  sent  re- 
(]uesting  his  assistance. 

We  found,  on  our  arrival,  that  our  father,  unhappily, 
had  not  been  alarmed  without  reason.  Our  poor 
mother  was  dangerously  ill,  and  the  physician  gave  us 
but  slight  hopes  of  her  recovery.  He  was  necessitated 
to  return  at  once  to  the  town,  but  he  promised  to  be 
back  the  next  day. 

Our  mother  rallied  greatly,  and  when  Don  Antonio 
again  appeared  she  seemed  to  be  much  better.  He, 
however,  looked  so  grave,  that  on  his  following  Arthur 
and  me  into  the  sitting-room,  we  expected  to  hear  him 
express  an  unfavourable  opinion  of  her  case.  But  after 
looking  about  to  see  that  none  of  the  servants  were 
within  hearing,  he  closed  the  door,  and  said  in  a  low 
voice  :  — 

"  It  is  not  on  account  of  your  mother's  health  that 
I  am  anxious,  but  for  your  sakes,  my  friends.  You 
are  supposed  to  be  rank  heretics  ;  and  I  have  received 
information  that  unless  you  forthwith  attend  mass,  go 
to  confession,  and  in  all  respects  conform  to  the 
obligations  of  the  Catholic  faith,  the  Inquisition 
intends  to  lay  hands  on  you,  and  to  punish  you 
severely  as  a  warning  to  others.      Even  should  your 


THE  DOCTOR  S  WARNING.  25 

father  conform,  he  will  be  unable  to  shield  you,  and 
you  will  be  equally  liable  to  punishment.  If  you  will 
be  advised  by  me,  unless  you  are  prepared  to  adopt 
the  religion  of  the  country,  you  will,  without  delay, 
make  your  escape  to  some  part  of  the  sea-coast  remote 
from  the  capital,  where  you  may  get  on  board  a  vessel 
bound  to  one  of  the  neighbouring  islands  or  elsewhere. 
You  know  not  the  fearful  punishment  to  which  you 
may  be  subjected,  should  you  once  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  Inquisition  ;  and  though  I  myself  run  the  risk  of 
losing  my  liberty,  not  to  speak  of  other  consequences, 
by  thus  warning  you,  I  could  not  find  it  in  my  heart 
to  leave  without  doing  so." 

We  warmly  thanked  our  kind  friend  for  the  advice 
he  had  given  us,  and  he  repeated  what  he  had  said  to 
our  father,  who  shortly  afterwards  came  into  the  room  ; 
but  at  the  time  he  made  no  remark,  though  he  was 
evidently  greatly  agitated. 

Scarcely  had  Don  Antonio  gone  when  my  mother 
appeared  to  grow  much  worse  ;  and  Arthur,  throwing 
himself  on  horseback,  galloped  off  as  hard  as  his  horse 
could  go  to  bring  him  back.  We  anxiously  waited 
his  return  with  the  physician,  for  every  moment  my 
mother  grew  worse  and  worse.  How  thankful  we 
were  when  Don  Antonio  arrived  ;  but  no  sooner  had 
he  felt  her  pulse,  than,  calling  my  father  out  of  the 
room,  he  told  him  that  she  was  dying,  and  that  he 
could  do  nothing  for  her.      His  words  proved  too  true. 


26  THE  DEATH  OF  OUR  MOTHER. 

As  wc  all  .stood  round  her  bed,  she  entreated  us  to 
adliere  firnily  to  the  faith  in  which  we  had  been 
brought  up  ;  then,  desiring  us  to  go  out  of  the  room, 
she  had  a  conversation  with  my  father — on  the  same 
subject,  I  suspect,  for  he  seemed  much  moved  when  we 
again  entered.  As  daylight  streamed  into  the  room, 
she  breathed  her  last. 

We  all  felt  her  loss  greatly,  and  poor  Marian  was 
so  overwhelmed  with  grief  that  we  were  in  serious 
anxiety  on  her  account. 

In  that  latitude,  burial  rapidly  follows  death.  It 
was  a  sore  trial  to  us  to  see  her  carried  to  her  grave, 
which  had  been  prepared  in  a  picturesque  spot  on  the 
side  of  a  hill  not  far  from  the  house.  Scarcely  had  the 
coffin  been  lowered  into  it,  when  two  priests  arrived  to 
perform  the  burial-service.  They  appeared  to  be 
highly  indignant  that  the  funeral  should  have  taken 
place  without  their  presence,  and,  from  expressions 
which  they  let  drop,  it  was  very  evident  that  they 
looked  upon  us  all  as  a  family  of  heretics.  My  father 
tried  to  pacify  them,  however,  and  fancied  that  he  had 
sent  them  away  satisfied. 

"  Remember  the  warning  I  have  given  you,"  ob- 
served Don  Antonio,  as  he  bade  us  good-bye.  "  Do 
not  be  deceived,  even  should  the  friars  who  may  come 
here  appear  to  be  on  friendly  terms  ;  their  object  will 
be  to  betray  you." 

It  had  been  arranged  that  Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur 


ANOTHER  WARNING.  27 

sliould  return  to  the  town  and  attend  to  business  next 
morning,  while  I  was  to  remain  with  poor  Marian  to 
try  and  comfort  her. 

Some  time  after  dark,  while  we  were  all  assembled 
in  the  sitting-room,  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and 
Arthur  went  out  to  see  who  had  come  to  visit  us.  He 
quickly  returned  with  a  note  for  my  father  in  his  hand, 
which  he  said  Don  Antonio  had  sent  by  his  black  ser- 
vant. It  contained  merely  the  words,  "  Follow  the 
advice  I  gave.  It  should  on  no  account  be  put  off  till 
to-morrow." 

The  negro  having  been  sent  back  with  a  verbal 
message  to  the  effect  that  the  prescription  should  be 
strictly  followed,  my  father  sat  down,  with  Uncle  Paul 
and  Arthur,  to  consider  what  was  to  be  done. 

"  For  myself,"  he  said,  "  I  have  resolved  to  remain. 
I  cannot  throw  away  the  advantages  I  have  gained  ; 
and  circumstances,  not  my  fault,  will  compel  me  to 
conform  to  the  religion  of  the  country.  But  you 
and  Arthur  may  do  as  you  think  fit ;  and  if  you 
resolve  to  make  your  escape  from  the  island,  I  will 
send  Guy  and  Marian  with  you — and  Tim  also,  if  he 
wishes  to  go." 

Uncle  Paul  expressed  his  sorrow  at  having  to  leave 
our  father ;  but  as  he  had  determined  not  to  change 
his  faith,  he  said  he  was  ready  to  set  off  with  us  im- 
mediately, and  to  try  to  carry  out  the  plan  Don 
Antonio  had  proposed. 


28  A  MIDNIGHT  FLIGHT. 

Poor  Tii)i,  when  he  heard  of  our  resolution,  was 
sorely  troubled  what  to  do. 

"  If  you  remain,  you  must  become  a  Roman  Catholic 
WMth  me,"  said  my  father. 

"  Then,  your  honour,  with  all  respect  to  you,  I'll  be 
after  going  wherever  Master  Guy  and  Miss  Marian  go  ; 
though  it  will  be  a  sad  day  that  we  have  to  leave  you." 

*'  It  must  be  done,  however,"  said  my  father.  ''  Now 
go  and  get  the  horses  ready.  We  will  have  such 
things  as  may  be  required  packed  up  forthwith." 

We  had  horses  enough  to  mount  the  whole  party, 
so  arrangements  were  speedily  made  ;  and  within  half 
an  hour  after  we  had  received  Don  Antonio's  warning 
we  were  in  the  saddle,  and,  under  the  guidance  of 
natives  well  acquainted  with  the  country,  were  mak- 
ing our  way  along  a  narrow  path  up  the  side  of  the 
mountains  which  rose  between  our  house  and  the  sea. 

Uncle  Paul  and  the  guides  went  first.  Marian 
rode  next,  mounted  on  a  small  pony,  and  attended  by 
Arthur.  I  followed  them  ;  and  Tim  brought  up  the 
rear.  Our  great  object  was  to  get  to  the  sea-side, 
where  we  might  remain  concealed,  in  case  the  officials 
of  the  Inquisition  should  pursue  us. 

The  narrow  and  steep  path  on  which  we  were  travel- 
ling wound  its  way  up  the  side  of  the  hill  till  the 
summit  was  reached,  when  we  besfan  to  descend  to- 
\\  ards  the  sea.  It  was  generally  too  rugged  to  allow 
us  to  move  out  of  a  walk,  for  our  horses  might  have 


A  PROVIDENTIAL  ESCAPE.  29 

fallen  and  sent  us  down  a  precipice  either  on  one  side 
or  the  other ;  still,  whenever  the  ground  allowed  it,  we 
pushed  on  as  fast  as  we  could  venture. 

At  length,  after  descending  some  distance,  we  found 
ourselves  travelling  along  with  the  ocean  on  our  left 
and  the  rugged  sides  of  the  hill  rising  on  our  right. 
The  pathway  seldom  allowed  two  to  ride  abreast.  Now 
it  ran  along  scarcely  eight  or  ten  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  water  ;  now  it  ascended  to  the  height  of  eighty 
or  a  hundred  feet,  with  a  steep  precipice  below  us. 

Daylight  had  just  broken,  when,  glancing  over  the 
ocean,  I  caught  sight  of  a  couple  of  vessels,  which  ap- 
peared to  be  standing  in  for  the  coast.  I  could  not 
help  crying  out  to  Uncle  Paul,  in  case  he  might  not 
have  observed  them.  My  voice,  unfortunately,  startled 
Arthur's  horse,  which  began  to  sidle  and  prance  ;  when 
what  was  my  hon-or  to  see  its  hinder  feet  slipping  over 
the  precipice  !  Marian  shrieked  out  with  alarm,  and  I 
expected  the  next  moment  that  Arthur  would  be 
dashed  to  pieces  on  the  rocks  below.  Such  would 
have  been  his  fate,  had  he  not  sprung  from  his  saddle 
just  as  the  animal  went  over  the  precipice.  In  vain 
the  creature  instinctively  attempted  to  spring  up  again, 
desperately  clinging  to  the  rock  with  its  feet.  Arthur 
tried  to  seize  its  bridle  to  help  it ;  but  in  another  in- 
stant we  saw  it  fall  on  the  rocks  below  with  a  force 
which  must  have  broken  every  bone  in  its  body. 

So   thankful   did    we   feel   that    Arthur    had    been 


30  ALO^^G  THE  COAST. 

preserved,  that  we  scarcely  thought  about  the  poor 
horse. 

*'  Go  forward  !  go  forward  !"  cried  out  Arthur.  "  I'll 
run  on  by  Marian's  side.  You  must  not  be  delayed 
on  my  account." 

We  accordingly  pushed  on,  and  at  length  came  to 
a  part  of  the  coast  where  the  road  ceased,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  proceed  further  with  our  horses.  Our 
chief  guide — who,  knowing  that  we  had  strong  reasons 
for  wishing  to  escape,  was  anxious  to  assist  us — ad- 
vised that  we  should  send  the  horses  back  over  the 
mountains  by  a  different  road  from  that  by  which  we 
had  come,  while  we  continued  along  the  coast  till  we 
reached  a  place  of  concealment,  which  he  said  we 
should  find  some  way  further  on  ;  he  himself  proposing 
to  accompany  the  horses,  and  to  rejoin  us  when  he  had 
conveyed  them  to  a  place  of  safety,  where  the  officials 
of  the  Inquisition  were  not  likely  to  find  them. 


A      PROVIDENTIAL      E! 


CHAPTER  ir. 

OUR     JOUKNEV — THE     PASSAGE     OF     THE     STREAM — OUR     FLIGHT    DISCOVERED 

ARRIVAL  AT  THE  RETREAT — OUR  FIRST  NIGHT  IN  THE  WILDS — CAMO's 
ARRIVAL — THE  SPIDER-MONKEYS — A  CURIOUS  SCENE— THE  MONKEYS  CROSS- 
ING  A   RIVER. 

E  had  now  a  toilsome  journey  to  perform, 
partly  along  the  coast  and  partly  inland, 
where  the  rocks  which  jutted  into  the  sea 
were  so  precipitous  that  we  were  unable  to 
climb  over  them.  Still,  though  Marian  was 
already  much  fatigued,  we  pushed  forward,  as  it  was  of 
the  greatest  importance  that  we  should  reach  a  place 
of  concealment  before  the  officials  of  the  dreaded  In- 
quisition had  discovered  our  flight.  Even  should  they 
pursue  us,  and  take  natives  with  them  as  guides,  we 
hoped  that  they  might  be  deceived  by  our  having  sent 
the  horses  into  the  interior,  and  would  follow  their 
footsteps,  supposing  that  we  were  still  upon  them,  in- 
stead of  continuing  along  the  shore  in  the  direction 
we  were  taking.  The  rocky  character  of  the  ground 
over  which  we  passed  after  dismounting  would,  we  be- 
lieved, prevent  any  traces  which  even  the  keen  eyes  of 
Indians   could  discover,   and  we  were  careful  not  to 

(540)  3 


84  A  TOILSOME  ROAD. 

break  any  branches  or  twigs  as  we  passed  along. 
When  on  the  sea-shore,  we  kept  either  in  the  water 
or  on  the  hard  sand,  which  the  tide,  as  it  rose,  would 
soon  cover.  But  as  we  thus  proceeded  along  the  shore, 
or  climbed  over  the  rocks,  where  we  could  obtain  no 
shelter  from  the  sun's  rays,  we  found  the  heat  at  times 
almost  overpowering. 

To  relieve  Marian,  Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur  joined 
their  hands  and  insisted  on  carrying  her  between  them. 
She  soon  begged  to  be  put  down,  however,  as  she  saw 
that  the  task  much  increased  their  fatigue. 

Having  reached  the  north-eastern  end  of  the  island, 
the  rock}^  range  of  mountains  which  extends  along  the 
northern  shore  terminated,  and  we  entered  a  region 
covered  with  a  dense  and  tangled  forest.  Uncle  Paul 
and  Tim  had  brought  their  guns  and  some  ammunition 
with  them,  that  we  might  kill  game  when  the  small 
stock  of  provisions  we  had  been  able  to  carry  was  ex- 
hausted. The  larger  portion  of  these  provisions,  with 
some  cooking  utensils,  had  been  placed  on  the  backs  of 
the  horses,  and  our  native  guides  had  promised  to  bring 
it  on  to  us  as  soon  as  they  had  left  the  steeds  in  a  place 
of  safety.  We  were,  however,  likely  to  be  somewhat 
badly  off  in  the  meantime  ;  and  as  a  considerable  period 
might  elapse  before  we  could  get  on  board  a  vessel,  we 
should  probably  have  to  depend  on  our  own  exertions 
for  obtaining  a  fresh  supply.  The  two  vessels  we  had 
seen  when  we  were  on  the  side  of  the  mountain  had 


CROSSING  THE  RIVER.  35 

tacked  and  stood  away  from  the  island,  so  that  we 
had  to  abandon  the  expectation  of  getting  on  board 
either  of  them. 

I  could  not  help  expressing  my  doubts  about  the 
fidelity  of  the  Indians  ;  but  Uncle  Paul,  who  knew 
them  better  than  I  did,  was  convinced  that  they  were 
honest,  and  would  follow  us  as  soon  as  they  had 
secured  the  horses  in  a  place  of  safety. 

We  were  now  travelling  southward  along  the  coast, 
and  at  some  little  distance  from  the  shore.  We  had 
the  mountains  rising  above  us  on  the  right,  while  the 
lower  ground  was  covered  with  a  dense  vegetation, 
through  which  it  was  often  difficult  to  force  our  way. 
At  length  we  reached  a  small  river,  the  most  northern 
of  several  which  ran  into  the  ocean  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  island.  Our  guides  had  told  us  that  we  should 
find  a  secure  place  of  concealment  on  the  banks  of 
another  stream  about  a  couple  of  miles  beyond  this, 
"but  without  their  assistance  we  had  little  hope  of  dis- 
covering it.  However,  we  were  unwilling  to  wait,  and 
accordingly  prepared  to  cross  the  river ;  Tim  volun- 
teering to  go  first,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  depth.  We 
watched  him  anxiously.  He  sank  deeper  and  deeper, 
till  the  water  reached  his  arm-pits,  and  we  began  to 
fear  that  we  should  be  unable  to  carry  Marian  over 
without  wetting  her.  Still  Tim  went  bravely  on, 
feeling  his  way  with  a  long  stick  which  he  carried,  till 
once  more  he  began  to  get  higher  and  higher  out  of 


36  ON  THE  OTHER  SIDE. 

the  water,  and  soon  reached  the  opposite  bank  in 
safety.  Unable,  however,  to  divest  myself  of  the 
idea  that  there  miMit  be  sharks,  or  even  alliojators,  in 
the  river,  I,  imitating  Tim's  example,  cut  a  long  pole, 
which  would  enable  me  to  defend  my  companions 
while  they  were  crossing.  Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur 
then  took  up  Marian  and  placed  her  on  their  shoulders, 
putting  their  arms  round  each  other's  necks  to  support 
her.  Tim  then  waded  back  to  meet  them ;  while  I  went 
behind,  beating  the  water  furiously  with  my  stick,  so 
that  no  alligator  or  shark  would  have  ventured  near 
us.  My  uncle  and  Arthur,  being  both  of  good  height, 
were  able  to  keep  Marian  out  of  the  water,  and  we 
happily  got  across  without  any  accident.  She  then 
insisted  on  being  put  down,  declaring  that  she  was 
not  tired,  and  could  walk  as  well  as  any  of  us. 

Nearly  the  whole  day  had  been  spent  on  the  jour- 
ney, and  we  were  anxious  to  find  a  place  where  we 
could  rest.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  somewhat  exposed 
position,  we  would  gladly  have  stopped  on  the  banks 
of  the  river ;  but  Uncle  Paul  thought  it  wiser  to  con- 
tinue on  till  the  natives  should  overtake  us. 

Evening  was  approaching,  and  it  would  soon  be  dark, 
when,  looking  back  along  the  forest  glade  through 
which  we  had  come,  we  saw  a  person  running  towards 
us  ;  we  quickly  made  him  out  to  be  Camo,  one  of  the 
native  guides.  He  signed  to  us  not  to  stop,  and  as  he 
ran  much  faster  than  we  could,  he  soon  overtook  us. 


r 


A  SAFE  RETREAT.  37 

"  Hasten  on/'  he  exclaimed  ;  ''  we  are  not  far  from 
the  place  to  which  I  wish  to  lead  you.  Already  your 
flight  has  been  discovered,  and  the  alguazils  are  search- 
ing for  us." 

"  If  they  come,  I  will  be  after  giving  them  a  taste 
of  my  shillalagh,"  exclaimed  Tim,  flourishing  the  thick 
stick  he  carried. 

"  It  will  be  far  better  to  hide  ourselves  than  to 
oppose  them,"  observed  the  guide,  in  his  peculiar 
dialect,  which  I  cannot  attempt  to  imitate. 

He  went  ahead,  while  Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur  helped 
on  Marian  between  them,  Tim  and  I  bringing  up  the 
rear  ;  Tim  every  now  and  then  looking  back  and  flour- 
ishing his  stick,  as  if  he  already  saw  our  pursuers,  and 
was  resolved  to  give  them  a  warm  reception.  Though 
very  tired,  we  made  rapid  progress  ;  Camo  guiding  us 
through  a  part  of  the  forest  which  we  should  have 
been  unable  to  discover  by  ourselves. 

Just  as  the  shades  of  evening  were  stealing  amid 
the  trees,  we  caught  sight  of  the  glimmer  of  water 
before  us,  and  Camo  led  the  way  up  a  steep  ascent  to 
the  right,  amid  the  trunks  of  trees,  through  between 
which  often  only  one  person  could  pass  at  a  time  ;  and 
we  soon  found  ourselves  in  a  small  open  space,  so  closely 
surrounded  by  dense  underwood  that  it  would  have 
been  impossible  for  any  one  to  discover  us,  unless 
acquainted  with  the  spot.  Above  us  a  precipitous  hill 
rose  to  a  considerable  height ;  while  the  branches  of 


38  OUR  PLACE  OF  CONCEALMENT. 

the  trees,  joining  overhead,  would  completely  shut  us 
out  from  the  sight  of  any  person  looking  down  from 
the  hill. 

"  Here  you  will  be  perfectly  safe,  for  there  is  no 
other  path  besides  the  one  by  which  we  have  come," 
said  Camo.  "  I  will  go  back,  however,  and  so  arrange 
the  branches  and  creepers  that  the  sharpest  eyes  among 
our  pursuers  will  be  unable  to  discover  that  any  one 
has  passed  this  way." 

An  opening  towards  the  east  admitted  the  only 
light  which  reached  the  spot.  Through  it  we  could 
see  the  sea,  from  which  we  were  not  far  distant. 
Uncle  Paul  expressed  himself  perfectly  satisfied  with 
the  place  of  concealment  which  Camo  had  selected, 
and  declared  that  he  had  little  fear  of  our  being  dis- 
covered. 

Weary  as  we  were,  we  were  thankful  to  throw  our- 
selves on  the  ground ;  and  after  we  had  eaten  some  of 
the  provisions  we  had  brought  with  us,  we  sought 
that  rest  we  so  much  required.  The  wind  being  com- 
pletely excluded  from  the  place,  it  was  almost  as 
warm  as  inside  a  house,  and  we  had  no  need  of  any 
covering.  As  our  shoes  and  stockings  were  wet,  how- 
ever, we  took  them  off  and  hung  them  up  on  the  trees 
to  dry,  rather  than  sleep  in  them. 

Uncle  Paul  had  placed  Marian  by  his  side,  and 
allowed  his  arm  to  serve  as  her  pillow.  Poor  girl,  it 
was  only  now  that,  all  cause  for  exertion  being  for  the 


TIM  OX  GUARD.  89 

present  over,  she  seemed  to  feel  her  sad  bereavement, 
and  the  dangerous  position  in  which  we  were  placed. 
Her  grief  for  a  time  prevented  her  from  closing  her 
eyes ;  but  at  length,  overcome  by  fatigue,  she  dropped 
into  a  peaceful  sleep.  I  sat  for  some  time  talking  to 
Arthur ;  while  Tim  insisted  on  standing  sentry  at  the 
entrance  of  the  passage  till  the  return  of  Camo,  who 
had  gone  to  look  after  his  companions.  We  had  great 
difficulty  in  keeping  awake,  and  even  Tim  found  it  a 
hard  matter  not  to  drop  down  on  the  ground ;  but  a 
sense  of  duty  triumphed  over  his  natural  desire  for 
rest,  and  he  kept  pacing  up  and  down  with  his  stout 
shillalagh  in  his  hand,  ready  to  do  battle  with  any  foes, 
either  human  or  four-footed,  which  might  approach 
our  retreat.  We  also  kept  the  guns  ready,  not  to 
defend  ourselves  against  our  pursuers,  for  that  would 
have  been  madness,  but  to  shoot  any  wild  beast  which 
might  approach  us. 

"  It's  as  well  to  be  prepared,"  observed  Arthur. 
"  But  though  there  are  jaguars  and  pumas  on  the  main- 
land, I  am  doubtful  whether  they  exist  in  Trinidad." 

"  I  have  heard  that  most  of  the  animals  on  the 
opposite  shore  of  South  America  are  to  be  found  in 
this  island,"  I  answered.  "  Both  the  jaguar  and  puma 
steal  silently  on  their  prey ;  and  if  one  of  them  were 
to  find  us  out,  it  might  pounce  down  into  our  midst 
before  we  were  prepared  to  defend  ourselves.  It  will 
not  do  to  risk  the  chance  of  there  beine:  no  such  ani- 


40  CAMO'S  RETURN. 

mals  in  the  island.  Should  we  arrive  at  the  conclu- 
sion that  there  are  none,  I  should  be  very  sorry  to 
find,  by  positive  proof,  that  we  were  wrong." 

**  Well,  at  all  events,  we  will  act  on  the  safe  side," 
observed  Arthur.  ''It  is  wise  to  be  prepared,  even 
though  we  may  find  that  our  care  has  been  unneces- 
sary. ' 

An  hour  or  more  might  have  passed,  when  we 
heard  a  rustling  in  the  neighbouring  bushes.  Arthur 
and  I  started  to  our  feet,  and  Tim  clutched  his  shillalagh 
more  firmly.  We  listened.  The  sound  came  from 
the  bottom  of  the  path  leading  up  to  our  hiding-place. 
We  waited  in  perfect  silence,  for  it  was  too  dark  to 
observe  anything ;  but  presently  our  ears  caught  the 
sound  of  light  footsteps  approaching,  and,  much  to  our 
relief,  we  heard  Camo's  voice. 

"  All  right !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  The  alguazils  have 
turned  back,  afraid  of  trusting  themselves  to  this  part 
of  the  country  in  the  dark.  We  may  now  all  rest  in 
quiet,  for  no  one  is  likely  to  come  near  us — for  some 
hours,  at  all  events." 

This  was  satisfactory,  and  honest  Camo  and  his  two 
followers  assured  us  that  they  would  keep  the  neces- 
sary watch  while  we  rested.  Scarcely  had  a  minute 
elapsed  after  this  when  Arthur  and  I  were  fast  asleep  ; 
and  I  suspect  that  Tim  was  not  long  in  following  our 
example. 

Daylight    streaming   through    the    opening    in    our 


ANXIETIES.  41 

woody  bower  towards  the  east,  aroused  us  from  our 
slumbers.  We  were  all  very  hungry,  for  we  had 
taken  but  a  small  amount  of  food  the  previous  even- 
ing;  but  we  were  afraid  of  lighting  a  fire,  lest  the 
smoke  might  betray  us,  should  our  enemies  by  any 
chance  be  in  the  neighbourhood.  We  were  obliged  to 
content  ourselves,  therefore,  with  our  cold  provisions, 
and  a  draught  of  water,  which  Camo  brought  from  the 
neighbouring  stream.  Marian  somewhat  recovered  her 
spirits,  but  we  all  felt  very  anxious  about  my  father, 
and  wondered  how  he  might  be  treated  when  the  in- 
quisitors found  that  we  had  made  our  escape. 

The  district  we  had  reached  was  wild  in  the  ex- 
treme ;  the  footsteps  of  civilized  men  appeared  never 
to  have  reached  it,  and  the  natives  who  once  had  their 
quiet  homes  in  this  part  of  the  country  had  long  since 
been  carried  off  to  labour  for  the  ruthless  Spaniards, 
who  had  already  destroyed  nearly  nine-tenths  of  the 
original  population.  Our  native  attendants,  from  the 
kind  way  in  which  my  father  had  treated  them,  were 
warmly  attached  to  us,  and  proportionately  hated  the 
Spaniards,  and  we  knew  that  we  were  perfectly  safe 
under  their  care. 

We  were  afraid  of  moving  out  during  the  day, 
though  Camo  and  the  other  natives  made  several  ex- 
ploring expeditions,  and  at  length  came  back  with  the 
satisfactory  intelligence  that  our  pursuers  'were  no- 
where in   the   neighboui-hood.      They   brought  also  a 


42  AX  EVENING  MEAL. 

couple  of  ducks  which  they  had  killed  with  their 
arrows  ;  and  they  assured  us  that  there  would  be  no 
danojer  in  lit^htin<2:  a  fire  to  cook  them.  We  soon 
gathered  a  sufficient  supply  of  broken  branches  and 
twigs  to  begin  with  ;  and  while  the  natives  were  col- 
lecting more  fuel  from  the  neighbouring  trees,  and 
blowing  up  the  fire,  I  sat  down  to  pluck  one  of  the 
ducks — Uncle  Paul,  with  Arthur  and  Marian  kneeling 
by  his  side,  watching  the  process.  We  quickly  had 
the  ducks  roasting  on  spits  before  the  fire,  supported 
by  two  forked  sticks  stuck  in  the  ground.  With 
these,  when  cooked,  and  some  hot  tea  which  was  made 
in  a  tin  kettle  Tim  had  brought  with  him,  with  a 
small  quantity  of  sugar  which  he  had  put  up,  as  he 
said,  for  the  young  mistress — though  we  had  no  milk 
to  drink  with  it — we  made  an  excellent  supper!  It 
was  a  scene  which  to  our  eyes,  unaccustomed  to  any- 
thing of  the  sort,  was  wild  in  the  extreme  ;  but  we 
were  destined  to  become  acquainted  with  many  even 
wilder  and  more  romantic.  That  night  was  passed 
much  as  the  preceding  one  had  been,  except  that  we 
were  able  to  keep  up  a  fire  without  the  fear  of  betray- 
ing our  retreat. 

Next  morning,  having  left  Marian  in  her  bower,  with 
Tim,  armed  with  one  of  the  guns,  to  keep  guard,  I 
accompanied  Arthur — who  carried  the  other  gun — into 
the  woods  in  search  of  game.  Uncle  Paul  meanwhile 
went  down  to  the  sea-shore  to  look  out  for  any  vessel 


OUR      HIDING-PLACE      IN      THE      FOREST. 


AT  THE  RIVER-BANK.  45 

which  might  be  approaching  the  coast ;  intending, 
should  she  prove  to  be  English,  to  make  a  signal,  in 
the  hope  that  a  boat  might  be  sent  on  shore  to  take 
us  off.  We  caught  sight  of  him  in  the  distance  dur- 
ing our  ramble,  but  as  we  looked  seaward  we  could 
make  out  no  vessel  on  any  part  of  the  ocean  over 
which  our  eyes  ranged. 

''  Not  much  chance  of  getting  off  to-day,"  I  observed. 

''  Nor  for  many  days,  probably,"  answered  Arthur. 
"  The  chances  are  against  any  vessel  coming  near 
enough  to  this  exact  spot  to  see  us  ;  so  we  must  make 
up  our  minds,  I  suspect,  to  remain  here  for  some  weeks, 
or  perhaps  months,  to  come.  However,  the  life  may 
not  prove  an  unpleasant  one  ;  and,  at  all  events,  it  will 
be  far  better  than  being  shut  up  in  the  dungeons  of 
the  Inquisition." 

''  I  should  think  so,  indeed,"  I  said.  ''  And  if  I 
knew  that  my  poor  father  was  safe,  I  should  not  care, 
but  rather  enjoy  it ;  and  so,  I  am  sure,  would  Marian." 

We  made  our  way  down  to  the  bank  of  the  river, 
which  appeared  to  be  broad  and  deep,  and  thickly 
shaded  on  both  sides  by  trees.  Knowing  that  all  the 
rivers  in  Trinidad  abound  with  fish,  we  regretted  that 
we  had  neither  spears,  nor  rods  and  lines,  with  which 
we  might  easily  have  caught  an  ample  supply.  Ai^thur, 
however,  made  good  use  of  his  gun,  and  soon  shot  a 
number  of  birds ;  among  which  were  several  parrots 
with  flaming  scarlet  bodies,   and  a  lovely  variety  of 


46  IMPROVEMENTS. 

red,  blue,  and  green  on  their  wings.  Loaded  with 
the  results  of  our  sport,  we  returned  to  the  encamp- 
ment, which  by  this  time  afforded  us  more  comfort 
than  at  first. 

Uncle  Paul,  with  the  aid  of  the  natives,  had  been 
busy  at  work  erecting  a  small  hut,  or  rather  an  arbour, 
for  Marian  ;  and  they  had  also  formed  a  bed-place  for 
each  of  us,  raised  off  the  ground,  and  roofed  over  with 
palm-leaves.  Uncle  confessed  that  he  could  not  tell 
when  we  might  get  off,  and  that  it  would  be  wise, 
for  the  sake  of  our  health,  to  make  ourselves  as  com- 
fortable as  we  could.  We  might  indeed  remain  where 
we  were  in  safety,  for  if  the  inquisitors  had  given  up 
the  search  for  us,  they  had  probably  done  so  under 
the  belief  that  we  had  already  made  our  escape  from 
the  island. 

Camo  and  the  other  natives  had  during  the  day 
made  a  wide  circuit  without  meeting  with  any  one, 
and  they  were  more  than  ever  convinced  that  our  ene- 
mies were  not  likely  to  search  for  us  in  that  neigh- 
bourhood. Uncle  Paul  was  much  inclined  to  send 
back  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  our  father ;  but  Camo 
declared  that  the  risk  would  be  very  great,  as  in  all 
probability  a  watch  would  have  been  set  on  the  house, 
and  whoever  went  would  be  traced  back  to  our  hiding- 
place.      So  the  idea  was  accordingly  abandoned. 

We  sat  round  our  camp-fire  in  the  evening,  and  dis- 
cussed all  sorts  of  plans.      Arthur  proposed  that  we 


QUITE  AT  HOME.  47 

should  move  further  to  the  south  ;  Camo  recommended 
that  we  should  remain  where  we  were.  The  district 
was  thinly  populated,  and  we  might  range  for  miles 
through  the  woods  without  meeting  with  any  one. 

"  But  how  are  we  to  procure  provisions  ? "  asked 
Arthur. 

'*  Our  guns,  as  you  have  proved,  will  furnish  us 
with  an  abundance  of  game,"  I  answered.  "  The 
woods  will  afford  us  fruit,  and  we  can  do  very  well 
without  bread  or  any  luxuries.  I  shall  always  be 
ready  to  act  as  sportsman  for  the  camp." 

"  And  I  should  like  to  accompany  you,"  said  Marian. 
''  My  eyes  are  very  sharp  ;  and  I  might  be  able  to  see 
the  birds  and  animals,  which  you  could  then  shoot." 

From  the  report  given  to  us  by  our  faithful  Indians, 
we  had  no  longer  much  fear  of  being  discovered.  We 
felt  sure,  also,  that  should  we  be  seen  by  any  of  the 
natives,  they  would  not  betray  us  to  the  hated  Span- 
iards. We  agreed  that  we  would  go  out  the  next 
morning,  Arthur  taking  one  gun  and  I  the  other, 
while  Marian  was  to  accompany  me.  Uncle  Paul  was 
too  eager  in  watching  for  a  vessel,  willingly  to  leave  the 
coast.  Tim  was  to  keep  watch  at  the  camp ;  and  the 
natives  were  to  act  the  part  of  scouts,  so  that  we 
might  have  timely  notice  should  the  Spaniards  ap- 
proach the  wood — in  which  case  we  were  to  hurry 
back  to  our  place  of  concealment,  where  we  had  no 
fear  of  beino-  discovered. 


48  A  SPORTING  EXCURSION. 

The  night  passed  away  much  as  the  former  ones 
had  done.  On  the  following  morning,  Arthur,  Marian, 
and  I  set  out  after  breakfast,  with  the  expectation  of 
amply  replenishing  our  larder  ;  but  as  our  supply  of 
ammunition  was  small,  we  determined  not  to  fire  unless 
we  could  make  sure  of  our  game.  I  had  not  gone  far, 
when  I  caught  sight  of  a  large  parrot  with  beautiful 
plumage.  I  fired,  and  brought  it  to  the  ground. 
Though  badly  wounded  and  unable  to  fly,  it  pecked 
fiercely  at  Marian  when  she  ran  forward  to  pick  it 
up.  However,  a  blow  which  I  gave  it  with  the  butt 
of  my  fowling-piece  soon  brought  its  struggles  to  an 
end.  I  afterwards  killed  three  others  in  the  same 
manner. 

We  made  our  way  on  till  we  caught  sight  of  the 
river  below  us  ;  but,  hoping  to  meet  with  more  birds 
near  it,  we  descended  to  the  bank,  and  were  making  our 
way  in  silence  through  the  thick  jungle,  which  greatly 
impeded  our  progress,  when  Marian  exclaimed, — 

"  0  Guy  !  what  can  that  creature  be,  hanging  to 
yonder  bough  ?  " 

We  both  stopped,  peering  ahead,  when  I  caught 
sight  of  the  animal  of  which  Marian  spoke.  It  looked 
like  an  exaggerated  spider,  with  its  enormously  long 
arms,  its  equally  long  hinder  legs,  and  its  still  longer 
tail,  by  which  it  was  swinging  from  a  branch  over- 
hanging the  river.  Suddenly  it  threw  itself  round, 
and  caught  the  branch  by  its  fore  paws.      Just  then 


WATCHING     THE     S  PI  D  E  R -MO  N  K  E  Y. 


SPIDER-MONKEYS.  51 

turning  its  head,  it  caught  sight  of  us.  Probably  this 
was  the  first  time  it  had  ever  seen  any  human  beings, 
— or,  at  all  events,  civilized  people  with  white  skins. 
Uttering  loud  shrieks,  the  monkey — for  a  monkey  it 
was — sprang  to  the  end  of  the  branch,  when,  in  its 
terror,  it  let  go  its  hold,  and  plunged  into  the  water. 
I  should,  I  confess,  have  shot  the  creature  ;  for  I  knew 
that  the  natives,  and  indeed  many  of  the  white  in- 
habitants, of  Trinidad,  eat  monkey  flesh,  though  we 
had  never  had  any  on  our  table. 

Away  the  creature  went,  floating  down  the  stream, 
and  shrieking  loudly  for  help.  Its  cries  were  answered 
by  a  number  of  its  kind,  of  whom  we  caught  sight 
in  the  branches  directly  above  our  heads.  Without 
noticing  us,  they  ran  to  the  end  of  a  long  bough, 
which  extended  far  over  the  water.  Immediately  one 
of  them  threw  itself  ofi*,  and  caught  with  its  fore  paws 
a  long  sepo,  or  vine,  which  hung  from  the  branch  ; 
another  descended,  hanging  on  with  its  tail  twisted 
round  the  tail  of  the  first ;  a  third  sprang  nimbly 
down  the  living  rope,  and  allowed  the  second  to  catch 
hold  of  its  tail ;  while  a  fourth  came  down,  immedi- 
ately afterwards,  almost  as  quick  as  lightning,  the 
third  catching  hold  of  its  tail  and  one  of  its  arms, 
while  its  other  arm  reached  down  to  the  surface  of  the 
water,  so  that  when  its  drowning  companion  came  by 
it  was  able  to  grasp  it  and  hold  it  tightly.  The  first 
now,  with  wonderful  power  of  limb,  hauled  itself  up, 


52  THE  DROWNING  MONKEY  SAVED. 

dragging  the  four  monkeys  hanging  to  it,  till  the 
second  was  able  to  grasp  the  vine.  They  then  hauled 
away  till  the  other  monkeys  in  succession  were  drawn 
up,  and  the  one  which  had  been  in  the  water  was 
placed  safely  on  the  bough.  The  whole  operation  was 
carried  on  amid  the  most  terrible  bowlings  and  cries, 
as  if  the  creatures,  all  the  time  that  they  were  perform- 
ing this  really  heroic  act,  were  suffering  the  greatest 
possible  pain.  The  chatterings,  shrieks,  and  cries 
continued  after  they  \vere  all  seated  on  the  bough, — 
convincing  us  that  the  monkey  which  had  tumbled 
into  the  water  was  telling  its  companions  about  the 
strange  creatures  it  had  seen  ;  for  they  all  cast  eager 
glances  around  and  below  them,  peering  through  the 
foliage,  evidently  endeavouring  to  catch  a  sight  of 
us.  Though  I  could  have  shot  one  of  them,  I  could 
not  bring  myself  to  do  so  after  seeing  the  way  they 
had  behaved.  Presently  they  saw  us,  and  one  glance 
was  sufficient ;  for,  renewing  their  shrieks  and  cries, 
they  sprang  up  the  vines,  like  sailors  swarming  up 
ropes,  and  quickly  disappeared  amid  the  dense  foliage. 
Still,  we  could  hear  them  chattering  away  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  I  have  no  doubt  that  they  were  communi- 
cating their  ideas  about  us  to  each  other,  and  all  the 
monkeys  they  met. 

Having  remained  perfectly  silent,  we  presently  saw 
a  little  dark  head,  with  bright  eyes,  looking  out  at 
us  from  among  the  boughs ;  then  another,  and  another 


SAVING     A     DROWNING     COMPANION. 


A  MONKEY-BRIDGE.  56 

came ;  and  as  we  did  not  move  they  gained  courage, 
and  crept  nearer  and  nearer.  They  looked  so  comical 
that  Marian  could  not  help  bursting  into  a  fit  of 
laughter,  in  which  I  joined  ;  but  no  sooner  did  the 
monkeys  hear  our  voices  than  off  they  scampered  to 
the  end  of  a  bough  which  stretched  a  considerable 
way  across  the  stream.  They  now,  almost  with  the 
rapidity  of  lightning,  formed  a  chain  similar  to  the 
one  they  had  made  to  drag  up  their  companion,  and 
began  swinging  backwards  and  forwards,  each  time 
approaching  nearer  the  opposite  shore.  At  last  the 
monkey  at  the  end  of  the  chain  caught,  with  his  out- 
stretched arms,  a  bough  extending  from  that  side,  and 
then  climbed  up  the  trunk,  dragging  his  companions 
after  him,  till  the  whole  hung  like  a  festoon  across  the 
river,  or  rather  like  a  rope-bridge,  for  a  bridge  it  was.  A 
whole  tribe  of  monkeys  now  appeared  upon  the  bough 
on  our  side,  and  began  to  cross  by  the  living  bridge 
thus  formed,  chattering  and  shrieking  as  they  ran  till 
they  reached  the  opposite  bank.  There  were  old 
monkeys,  and  mother  monkeys  with  little  ones  on 
their  backs,  and  young  monkeys  of  all  sizes.  I  ob- 
served that  some  of  the  latter  gave  a  slight  pinch,  as 
they  went  along,  to  the  backs  of  the  big  fellows,  who 
could  not,  of  course,  retaliate.  Probably  the  rascals 
took  this  opportunity  of  revenging  themselves  for  the 
sundry  beatings  they  had  received  for  their  misconduct 
on  various  occasions. 


56  STRANGE  PROCEEDINGS. 

When  the  whole  tribe  had  passed  over,  Avith  the 
exception  of  the  living  chain,  the  monkey  holding  on 
to  the  upper  bough  on  our  side  let  go,  while  those 
who  had  hitherto  been  holding  on  by  the  opposite 
lower  branch  began  rapidly  to  scramble  up  the  tree, 
so  that  the  brave  old  fellow  who  had  borne  for  the 
whole  time  the  weight  of  his  companions,  was  for  a 
minute  in  the  water.  Once  safe,  the  whole  of  them 
scampered  away  amid  the  boughs,  uttering  loud  shrieks, 
and  apparently  well  satisfied  at  having  placed  the 
river  between  themselves  and  us.  We  stood  watch- 
ing them,  laughing  heartily  at  their  strange  proceed- 
ings. Curiosity,  howevei",  soon  again  gained  the  victory 
over  their  fears,  and  they  came  back,  peering  at  us 
amid  the  foliage ;  while  we  could  see  the  young  ones 
ninning  up  and  down  the  vines,  and  playing  all 
sorts  of  antics.  We  forgot,  for  the  moment,  our  grief, 
and  the  dangerous  position  in  which  we  were 
placed. 

These  monkeys  are  known  by  the  name  of  "  ateles," 
or  "spider-monkeys;"  and  certainly  their  long  thin 
arms  and  legs,  and  longer  tails,  greatly  resemble  the 
legs  of  spiders. 

They  continued  to  watch  us,  but  did  not  recross  the 
river,  being  evidently  satisfied  that  they  were  safe  on 
the  further  side  ;  though,  had  I  been  anxious,  I  might 
easily  have  brought  down  one  or  two  of  them.  Marian, 
however,   charged   me   not    to  fire ;   indeed,  it  would 


THROUGH  THE  FOREST.  57 

have  been  almost  like  murder  to  have  killed  such  ap- 
parently intelligent  creatures. 

After  watching  them  for  some  time,  we  turned  our 
steps  towards  our  retreat  ;  and  as  we  made  our  way 
through  the  forest,  I  added  several  more  birds  to  our 
stock  of  provisions. 


CHAPTER  III. 

JOSE  APPEARS— INTELLIGENCE  OF  OUR  FATHER — HIS  ARRIVAL— CATCHING  THE 
MANATEE— SEARCH  FOR  A  BOAT— ^OSE'S  TREACHEROUS  DESIGN  FRUSTRATED 
BY   AN    ANACONDA. 

E  had  already  spent  a  week  at  our  retreat, 
and  no  opportunity  had  as  yet  occurred 
of  making  our  escape.  So  far  as  we  could 
tell,  we  might  live  on  where  we  were  for 
many  months  without  being  discovered, 
if  we  could  provide  ourselves  with  food.  That,  of 
course,  was  a  very  important  point.  We  might  kill 
animals  enough  to  supply  ourselves  with  meat ;  but 
we  required  flour  and  vegetables,  and  our  small  stock 
of  tea  and  suo^ar  was  diminish insf.  We  had  also  made 
Marian's  hut  tolerably  comfortable,  and  the  rest  of  the 
party  were  content  to  sleep  in  the  open  air.  Tho- 
roughly trusting  our  faithful  Camo,  we  consulted  him 
as  to  the  possibility  of  obtaining  fresh  supplies  from 
home,  especially  of  such  things  as  Marian  chiefly  re- 
quired. He  answered  that  he  would  do  everything  we 
wished,  but  he  again  warned  us  of  the  danger  we  might 
incur  of  beinoj  discovered. 


A  STRANGER  IN  THE  FOREST.  59 

"  Oh,  do  not  let  any  risk  be  run  for  me  I  "  exclaimed 
Marian.  "  I  would  infinitely  rather  go  without  any 
luxuries,  than  feel  that  our  friends  had  to  incur  any 
danger  to  obtain  them.  All  I  wish  to  ascertain  is, 
how  poor  papa  is  getting  on." 

''  We  will  wait,  at  all  events,"  said  Uncle  Paul. 
*'  If  we  find  that  no  vessel  approaches  the  coast,  we 
must  try  and  obtain  a  boat  from  the  shore.  It  will 
not  be  safe,  however,  to  go  oflf  in  her  without  an  ample 
stock  of  provisions  and  water,  as  some  days  may  pass 
before  we  succeed  in  getting  on  board  a  vessel  to 
cany  us  to  the  mainland  or  to  one  of  the  islands." 

Our  chief  object  for  the  present  was,  therefore,  ac- 
cording to  Uncle  Paul's  advice,  to  obtain  the  provi- 
sions he  thought  necessary  ;  while  every  day,  as  before, 
Camo  and  the  other  natives  went  out  to  watch  for 
the  approach  of  those  who  might  be  sent  in  search 
of  us. 

One  evening  one  of  the  two  men  came  back  re- 
porting that  all  was  safe,  but  Camo  had  not  returned. 
Arthur  and  I  had  gone  some  little  distance  from  our  re- 
treat, with  our  guns,  when  we  caught  sight  of  a  person 
among  the  trees  stealing  towards  us.  We  were  con- 
vinced, by  the  cautious  way  in  which  he  approached, 
that  it  was  not  Camo.  We  accordingly  concealed  our- 
selves ;  for  had  we  retreated,  the  stranger  would  probably 
have  observed  us.  As  he  drew  nearer  to  us,  we  were 
convinced,  by  the  way  he  looked  about  in  every  direc- 


60  OUR  SERVANT  JOSE. 

tion,  that  he  by  some  means  or  other  knew  we  had 
taken  refuge  in  the  neighbourhood.  When  he  stopped 
at  length,  a  short  distance  off,  we  recognized  one  of 
my  father's  servants — a  half-caste  named  Jose.  He 
was  not  a  man  in  whom  we  had  ever  placed  much 
confidence,  though  he  was  an  industrious,  hard-work- 
ing fellow ;  and  we  were,  therefore,  doubtful  whether 
we  should  speak  to  him,  or  endeavour  to  keep  con- 
cealed. Still,  we  were  both  anxious  to  gain  tidings 
from  home ;  and  we  thought  it  probable  that  my 
father  had  sent  him  with  a  message  for  us.  It  was 
evident,  indeed,  that  he  must  have  known  where- 
abouts to  find  us,  or  he  would  not  have  come  so 
directly  towards  our  hiding-place.  Arthur  put  his 
mouth  to  my  ear,  and  whispered, — 

"  It  will  be  better  to  show  ourselves  ;  and  we  must 
afterwards  keep  a  watch  on  the  man,  to  prevent  him 
from  going  off  and  giving  information  to  our  enemies." 

I,  of  course,  agreed  to  this  proposal ;  so,  stepping 
out  from  behind  the  tree  where  we  had  been  hidden, 
we  faced  Jose,  and  asked  him  whether  he  had  brought 
any  message  from  my  father.  He  seemed  in  no  way 
astonished  at  seeing  us,  but  replied  that  he  was  glad 
to  find  we  had  not  left  the  island,  as  he  had  been  sent 
expressl}^  by  m}^  father  to  try  and  meet  with  us.  He 
had  been,  he  said,  searching  for  us  for  some  days ; 
and  at  length  catching  sight  of  Camo,  he  knew  that 
we  were  not  likely  to  be  far  off.      My  father  himself, 


TREACHERY  AT  WORK.  61 

he  said,  was  in  considerable  apprehension  of  being 
denounced  to  the  Inquisition,  as  he  had  received  a 
warning  from  Doctor  Antonio,  and  had  thought  it 
prudent  in  consequence  to  hide  himself. 

*'  Will  he  not  join  us  ?"  asked  Arthur  eagerly.  ''  He 
will  be  safer  where  we  are  than  anywhere  else." 

"  He  does  not  know  where  to  find  you,  senors  ;  but 
if  you  will  show  me  your  place  of  concealment,  I  will 
try  and  find  him,  and  bring  him  to  you." 

Arthur  looked  at  me,  on  hearing  this,  with  an  ex- 
pression that  showed  he  doubted  the  truth  of  what 
Jose  said.  "  It  will  be  better  not  to  show  any  dis- 
trust," he  whispered  ;  ''at  the  same  time,  it  might  be 
hazardous  to  lead  Jose  to  our  retreat." 

"  What  are  we  to  do,  then  ?"  I  asked. 

"  We  will  tell  him  to  go  and  find  your  father,  and 
conduct  him  to  this  spot :  if  he  comes,  we  need  no 
longer  have  any  doubts  about  Josh's  fidelity." 

I  thought  Arthur's  idea  a  good  one,  though  we 
should  have  liked  to  consult  Uncle  Paul  on  the 
subject. 

Arthur  asked  Jose  how  long  it  would  take  to  bring 
our  father  to  the  spot  where  we  then  were.  He  re- 
plied, "  Certainly  not  before  noon  of  next  day  ;  "  and 
we  accordingly  agreed  to  meet  him  at  that  hour. 

''  But  will  you  not  take  me  to  your  hiding-place  ?" 
he  asked.  ''  I  am  hungry  and  weary,  and  require  rest 
and  refreshment." 


62  JOSE  S  DISAPPOINTMENT. 

I  was  much  disposed  to  do  as  the  man  requested, 
but  I  waited  to  hear  what  Arthur  would  say  before 
replying. 

"We  regret  that  we  cannot  take  you  there  at 
present,"  said  Arthur ;  "  others  are  concerned  as  well 
as  ourselves.  Do  you  go  back  and  find  your  master, 
and  tell  him  that  we  are  well,  and  shall  be  rejoiced  to 
see  him." 

Jose  looked  somewhat  disappointed. 

''  Come,"  said  Arthur,  ''  we  v/ill  accompany  you  a 
part  of  the  way.  Here  are  two  birds  which  we  have 
shot ;  they  will  help  to  support  you  and  Senor  Dennis 
till  you  reach  this  to-morrow." 

Still  Josd  lingered,  evidently  wishing  to  learn  the 
w^ay  to  our  retreat ;  but  Arthur  had  a  determined 
manner  about  him,  and  Jose  was  at  length  compelled 
to  turn  back,  whereupon  we  accompanied  him. 

We  walked  on  for  about  half  a  mile  through  the 
forest,  but  were  unwilling  to  go  further,  for  fear  of 
losing  our  way.  At  length  we  bade  Jose  good-bye, 
and  hurried  back,  occasionally  looking  behind  us  to 
ascertain  whether  he  was  following.  It  was  dark  by 
the  time  we  reached  our  retreat.  Camo  had  just 
before  come  in,  and,  strange  to  say,  had  not  seen  any- 
thing of  Jose.  Uncle  Paul  approved  of  what  we  had 
done,  but  expressed  his  doubts  as  to  whether  Jose  was 
honest. 

*'  We  shall  know  to-morrow,"  he  observed.      "  If  ho 


PRECAUTIONS.  63 

is  accompanied  by  your  father,  all  may  be  right ;  but 
if  not,  we  must  take  care  that  he  does  not  discover 
our  retreat.  Having  themselves  failed  to  find  us,  the 
officers  of  the  Inquisition  are  very  likely  to  have 
bribed  him ;  and  they  may  possibly  have  let  your 
father  escape  their  clutches,  for  the  sake  of  catching 
us  all  in  one  net." 

So  impressed  was  Uncle  Paul  with  this  idea,  that 
he  proposed  we  should  move  further  south,  to  some 
other  safe  place  of  concealment.  Consulting  Camo  on 
the  subject,  the  Indian  replied  that  we  could  not 
hope  to  find  a  safer  retreat  than  our  present  one,  and 
suggested  that  he  and  his  companions  should  be  on 
the  watch,  some  distance  in  advance  of  the  spot  to 
which  we  had  told  Jose  to  bring  my  father ;  pro- 
mising that,  should  he  be  accompanied  by  strangers, 
they  would  immediately  hasten  to  inform  us,  so  that 
we  might  have  time  to  escape. 

I  earnestly  hoped  that  my  father  would  come  ;  for, 
though  he  might  run  the  risk  of  sacrificing  his  pro- 
perty, that  would  be  far  better  than  having  to  act  the 
part  of  a  hypocrite,  or  being  shut  up  in  the  dungeons 
of  the  Inquisition. 

The  night  seemed  very  long  ;  and  I  could  scarcely  go 
to  sleep  for  thinking  of  what  might  happen  on  the  mor- 
row. At  the  hour  appointed,  Arthur  and  I  went  to 
the  spot  agreed  on  ;  Camo  and  the  other  natives  having 
some  time  before  set  out  to  watch  for  Jose's  approach. 


61  JOINED  BY  OUR  FATHER. 

We  waited  anxiously  ;  the  hour  for  the  meeting  had 
arrived.  At  length  we  caught  sight  of  two  persons 
coming  through  the  forest.  My  heart  bounded  with 
joy  ;  my  father  was  one  of  them,  and  Jose  was  his 
companion.  Arthur  and  I  hurried  towards  them, 
and  were  soon  welcoming  my  father.  He  looked  pale 
and  ill,  but  expressed  his  thankfulness  at  having 
escaped  ;  so  we  at  once  accompanied  him  to  our  retreat, 
followed  by  Jose. 

He  was,  as  might  be  expected,  very  much  cast 
down,  and  anxious  about  the  future  ;  but  Uncle  Paul 
did  his  utmost  to  raise  his  spirits,  bidding  him  trust 
in  God,  and  reminding  him  that  everything  would 
be  ordered  for  the  best.  Our  plans  for  the  future 
were  then  discussed,  as  our  father  was  eager  to  get  off 
as  soon  as  possible.  As  we  spoke  in  English,  Jose 
could  not  understand  what  was  said  ;  but  he  observed 
everything  that  took  place  with  a  look  w^hich  I  did 
not  like — indeed,  neither  Arthur  nor  I  were  yet  satis- 
fied that  he  was  acting  an  honest  part. 

The  means  of  obtaining  provisions  for  the  voyage 
next  occupied  our  attention.  Camo  suggested  that  we 
should  try  .and  catch  a  cow-fish,  the  flesh  of  which, 
when  cut  up  into  strips  and  dried  in  the  sun,  could  be 
preserved  for  a  considerable  time,  and  would  prove 
more  serviceable  than  any  other  food  we  were  likely 
to  obtain.  He  offered  at  once  to  go  down  to  the 
river  and   look  out  for  one.      Arthur,  Tim,  and  I  ac- 


A  SEARCH  FOR  A  COW-FISH.  65 

companied  him  and  the  two  other  natives.  Tim  had 
an  axe,  while  we  had  our  guns,  and  the  natives  had 
provided  themselves  with  lances,  to  which  long  lines 
were  attached.  Camo  took  his  post  on  the  lower 
branch  of  a  tree  which  projected  over  the  water,  while 
we  stationed  ourselves  at  some  little  distance,  ready  to 
render  him  assistance,  if  required  ;  and  we  waited  thus 
for  some  time,  looking  up  and  down  the  stream  in  the 
hope  of  seeing  a  cow-fish  come  within  reach  of  his 
lance. 

The  creature  of  which  we  were  in  search  is  amphi- 
bious, and  suckles  its  young  like  the  whale.  It  is  fre- 
quently found  in  pairs  with  its  young,  browsing  on 
the  marine  plants,  and  sometimes  on  shore  in  the 
cocoa-nut  groves.  It  is  properly  called  the  ''manatee," 
or  sea-cow ;  measures  fifteen  feet  in  length,  has  two 
fin-like  arms,  is  covered  w^th  hair,  and  often  weighs 
twelve  hundred  pounds.  I  had  never  seen  one,  but 
Camo  had  described  it  to  us  as  we  were  on  our  way 
to  the  river. 

At  length  we  caught  sight  of  a  dark  object  coming 
slowly  up  the  stream  ;  its  head,  as  it  approached,  greatly 
resembling  that  of  a  cow,  while  its  hairy  bod}^  was 
raised  considerably  above  the  water.  We  knew  from 
Camo's  movements  that  he  also  had  observed  it.  The 
question  was  whether  or  not  it  would  pass  near  enough 
to  him  to  allow  him  to  strike  it  with  his  lance.  As 
it  drew   nearer,  we  saw  that  it  had  a  young  one  by 

(5W)  5 


ee  A  CRUEL  DEED. 

its  side.  Now,  greatly  to  our  disappointment,  it 
floated  off  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream,  and  we 
feared  that  it  would  be  lost.  It  suddenly  turned  again, 
however,  while  its  young  one  disappeared  beneath  it. 
For  some  time  it  remained  almost  stationary,  then,  un- 
conscious of  its  danger,  floated  directly  under  where 
Camo  stood.  At  that  instant  his  long  lance  flew  from 
his  hand,  and  buried  itself  deep  in  the  animal's  back. 
The  other  natives,  who  had  been  watching  eagerly, 
now  sprang  forward  and  hurled  their  lances,  fixing 
them  firmly,  one  in  its  neck,  and  another  towards  its 
tail.  The  creature,  finding  itself  wounded,  began  to 
plunge  violently,  but  made  no  other  effort  to  escape. 
It  seemed,  however,  as  if  the  light  lances  would  be 
unable  to  hold  it.  Arthur  and  I  on  this  made  our 
way  as  close  to  the  water  as  we  could  ;  and  when 
we  got  the  creature  clearly  in  sight,  Arthur  fired, 
and  sent  a  bullet  through  its  head.  Its  struggles 
instantly  ceased,  and  without  much  difficulty  we  drew 
it  up  to  the  only  part  of  the  bank  in  the  neighbour- 
hood where  we  could  land  it.  It  was  quite  dead,  but 
even  then  it  required  our  united  strength  to  drag  it  on 
shore.  The  young  one  followed,  and  tried  to  climb 
up  the  bank,  when  Tim  despatched  it  with  a  blow  of 
his  axe.  It  seemed  a  cruel  deed,  but  necessity,  in 
such  a  case,  has  no  law,  and  we  were  thankful  to  have 
obtained  such  an  ample  supply  of  meat. 

We   at   once  set   to  work   to  cut  up  the  creature. 


CATCHING     A      COW-FISH. 


OUR  CHIEF  DIFFICULTY.  69 

under  Camo's  directions,  and  soon  Lad  loaded  ourselves 
with  as  much  meat  as  we  could  carry.  Leaving  one 
of  the  natives  to  guard  the  carcass  from  the  birds  of 
prey,  or  any  animals  which  might  come  to  feed  on  it, 
we  hastened  back  to  our  retreat,  and  then  returned 
for  a  further  quantity.  Uncle  Paul  was  delighted  at 
our  success  ;  and  we  immediately  set  to  work  to  cut  the 
meat  into  thin  strips,  which  we  hung  up  in  the  sun. 
In  the  evening  we  cooked  a  portion  of  the  young 
manatee  for  supper,  and  we  all  agTeed  that  it  tasted 
like  the  most  delicate  pork. 

We  had  now  a  supply  of  meat  sufficient  to  last  us 
for  several  days  ;  and  we  hoped,  with  the  aid  of  some 
cocoa-nuts,  yams,  plantains,  bananas,  and  other  fruits, 
to  secure  an  ample  supply  of  provisions  for  the  longest 
voyage  we  were  likely  to  take.  Our  hope  was  that 
we  should  quickly  get  on  board  a  vessel.  If  not, 
Uncle  Paul  proposed  that  we  should  steer  for  Tobago, 
which  we  might  expect  to  reach  in  a  couple  of  days. 

Our  chief  difficulty  was  to  obtain  a  boat ;  and  Uncle 
Paul  and  Arthur  agreed  to  set  out  to  the  south  in 
search  of  one.  Dressed  in  duck  trousers,  and  with  broad- 
brimmed  hats  on  their  heads,  they  would  probably  be 
taken  for  English  sailors,  and  would  not  be  interfered 
with.  They  hoped  to  hire  a  boat  without  difficulty  ; 
if  not,  they  intended  to  run  off  with  one,  and  to  send 
back  more  than  her  value  to  the  owner.  Under  the 
circumstances,    they   considered    that   they   would   be 


70  BLIGHTED  HOPES, 

justified  in  so  doing  ;  though  I  am  very  sure  that  we 
must  never  do  what  is  wrong  for  the  sake  of  gaining 
an  advantage  of  any  sort. 

I  may  be  excused,  however,  from  discussing  here 
the  morality  of  their  intended  act.  The  world  cer- 
tainly would  not  have  blamed  them  ;  but,  as  I  now 
write  in  my  old  age,  I  have  learned  that  there  is  a 
rule  for  above  the  world's  laws,  and  that  says,  "  Do  no 
wrong,  or  be  guilty  of  any  appearance  of  wrong,  how- 
ever important  may  seem  the  object  to  be  gained." 
But  this  is  a  digression. 

Camo  and  the  two  other  natives  agreed  to  accom- 
pany our  uncle  and  Arthur.  The  latter  took  his  gun 
with  him,  but  I  retained  mine. 

They  had  been  gone  for  some  hours,  when  Tim  and 
I  agreed  to  go  out  into  the  woods  and  kill  some  birds 
for  supper,  whilst  our  father — who  had  not  yet  re- 
covered from  the  fatigue  of  his  journey,  and  was, 
besides,  sorely  distressed  at  the  thought  of  all  his 
hopes  being  destroyed — remained  in  the  retreat  with 
Marian.  Jose  undertook  to  stop  and  prepare  the  meat, 
which  was  to  be  packed  up  tightly  in  small  bundles, 
and  covered  over  with  leaves. 

Tim  and  I  took  our  way  westward.  I  scarcely 
know  what  made  us  go  in  that  direction  ;  for  before 
we  left  the  camp  we  had  intended  to  proceed  to  the 
river,  and  had  said  so  in  Jose's  hearing.  We  had 
gone  some  distance,  however,  when  we  caught  sight  of 


THE  TRATTOR  CAUGHT.  71 

a  small  deer  known  as  the  "  mano-rove  stao."  The 
creature  did  not  perceive  us,  and  we  followed  it  for  a 
considerable  distance  before  I  could  get  a  favourable 
shot.  At  length,  when  we  were  little  more  than  fifty 
yards  off,  I  fired,  and,  greatly  to  my  satisfaction,  brought 
it  to  the  ground.  Tim  having  quickly  despatched  it, 
next  skinned  and  cut  it  up  ;  then  loading  ourselves 
with  as  much  of  the  flesh  as  we  could  carry,  we  set  oft* 
to  return  to  the  camp. 

We  had  made  some  progress  on  our  way  home  — 
though  with  our  load  we  moved  but  slowly — when 
we  caught  sight  of  Jose  in  the  distance,  running  rapidly 
among  the  trees  of  the  forest.  At  the  same  moment 
an  object  appeared  directly  in  front  of  Jose  sufiicient 
to  fill  us  with  horror.  It  was  a  huge  snake.  Jose 
apparently  had  not  seen  it ;  for  the  next  instant  the 
creature  seized  him,  and  began  to  wind  its  folds  around 
his  body.  He  uttered  a  dreadful  shriek  of  terror,  not 
knowing  that  any  one  was  near.  Tim  and  I  rushed 
forward  ;  he  with  his  axe  in  his  hand,  I  with  a  stick 
I  had  picked  up — for  I  was  afraid,  should  I  fire,  of  kill- 
ing the  man.  Jose  had  never  been  a  favourite  with  Tim ; 
indeed,  he  had  suspected  him  from  the  first ;  and  the 
man's  appearance  at  that  spot  showed  pretty  clearly 
that  Tim  was  right  in  his  opinion.  He  now,  however, 
dashed  up  to  the  huge  snake  in  the  most  gallant  way, 
and  struck  it  a  violent  blow  on  the  tail,  almost  severing 
the  end.      Still  the  monster  kept  firm  hold  of  the  teiTi- 


72  TO  THE  RESCUE. 

fiecl  Jose,  whose  fearful  shrieks  were  each  instant  be- 
coming fainter  as  the  creature  pressed  his  body  tighter 
and  tighter  in  its  encircling  folds. 

"  Do  you,  Master  Guy,  batter  away  at  its  tail,  while 
I  take  its  head,"  cried  Tim  ;  and  springing  towards  the 
neck  of  the  monster,  just  as  it  was  on  the  point  of  seiz- 
ing Josh's  head  in  its  mouth,  he  struck  it  a  blow  with 
his  axe  which  well-nigh  cut  it  through.  Still  it  kept 
hold  of  the  wretched  man  ;  till  Tim  repeating  his  blow, 
it  rolled  over  to  the  ground  with  its  victim,  who,  covered 
with  its  blood,  presented  a  horrible  spectacle  as  he  lay 
gasping  for  breath.  The  blows  had  paralyzed  the  ser- 
pent ;  and  now,  seizing  Jose  by  the  shoulders,  we 
drairsred  him  out  from  between  its  relaxed  folds.  We 
had  expected  to  find  every  bone  in  his  body  broken, 
but,  except  that  his  breath  had  nearly  been  squeezed 
out  of  him,  he  did  not  appear  to  have  suffered  much. 
The  anaconda,  however,  we  saw  from  the  movements 
of  its  body,  still  retained  sufficient  vitality  to  be  mis- 
chievous. 

"  We  must  finish  off  this  gentleman  before  we  attend 
to  Master  Jose,"  cried  Tim.  "  If  he  comes  to  life  again, 
he  will  be  after  taking  us  all  three  down  his  ugly  mouth, 
like  so  many  pills,  at  a  gulp." 

"  I  suspect  the  gash  you  gave  him  must  have  some- 
what spoiled  his  digestion,  though,  Tim,"  I  observed. 

"  Arrah,  then,  I  will  be  after  giving  him  another,  to 
make  sure,"    exclaimed   my    companion,    severing  the 


A      TERRIBLE      PREDICAMENT. 


JOSE  S  RECOVERY.  75 

snake's  head  at  a  blow.  "  There  !  now  I've  done 
for  him  ! "  he  cried,  triumphantly  holding  up  its 
head. 

We  measured  the  anaconda,  which  was  fully  thirty 
feet  long  ;  and  Tim  having  cut  it  open  with  his  axe,  we 
found  the  body  of  a  young  deer,  and  three  pacas,  each 
larger  than  a  hare,  perfectly  entire,  showing  that  the 
creature  had  only  just  swallowed  them.  Its  appear- 
ance was  most  hideous,  the  creature  being  very  broad 
in  the  middle,  and  tapering  abruptly  at  both  ends.  It 
had  probably  come  up  a  small  stream  which  ran  into 
the  main  river,  and  which  passed  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  spot  where  it  had  attacked  Jose. 

I  was  not  before  aware  that  anacondas  of  any  size 
were  to  be  found  in  Trinidad ;  indeed,  Camo  had  told 
us  that  he  had  never  seen  one,  and  that  at  all  events 
they  were  very  rare. 

We  now  turned  our  attention  to  Jose,  who  had  not 
yet  recovered  from  his  terror.  He  sat  moaning  on  the 
ground,  and  feeling  his  limbs,  as  if  still  uncertain 
whether  or  not  they  were  broken.  We  at  length  got 
him  on  his  les:s,  and  takins^  him  to  the  water,  washed 
off  the  serpent's  blood,  which  abundantly  besprinkled 
his  face  and  shoulders. 

"  And  now,  Jose,  tell  me,  where  were  you  going 
when  the  serpent  stopped  you  ?"  I  asked,  when  he  had 
recovered  sufficiently  to  speak. 

''  Oh,   don't  ask  me,  Senor  Guy  !      I  will  go  back 


76  TREACHERY  ACKNOWLEDGED. 

with   you,    and   remain    faithful   to    the    end    of   my 
days." 

I  thought  it  best  not  to  put  further  questions  to 
the  man,  intending  to  leave  it  to  my  father  to  do  so  ; 
but  I  strongly  suspected  that  had  not  the  anaconda  put 
a  stop  to  his  proceedings,  we  should  not  have  seen  him 
again.  Indeed,  I  may  say  that  I  was  certain  he  w^as 
on  his  way  to  give  information  to  the  Inquisition  of 
our  place  of  concealment. 

Assisting  him  along,  we  reached  our  sylvan  home  just 
as  darkness  set  in.  My  father  looked  sternly  at  Jos^, 
and  asked  where  he  had  been  going.  The  wretched 
man,  falling  on  his  knees,  then  acknowledged  his  in- 
tended treachery,  and,  begging  my  father  to  forgive 
him,  said  he  would  be  faithful  in  future. 

''  I  will  trust  you  thus  far,"  said  my  father  :  ''  you 
must  never  leave  this  retreat  while  we  remain  here." 

Jose  made  no  answer,  but,  sitting  down  on  the 
ground,  groaned  as  if  in  great  pain.  Indeed,  the  ana- 
conda had  given  him  a  greater  squeeze  than  we  had  at 
first  supposed. 

"  You  may  depend  on  it,  your  honour,  that  I  will 
keep  an  eye  on  our  friend  here,"  said  Tim,  glancing  at 
Josd  "  If  it  had  not  been  for  the  big  serpent,  he 
would  have  been  after  getting  those  '  Inquisitive ' 
gentlemen  down  upon  us.  I  will  make  my  shillalagh 
and  his  head  wonderfully  well  acquainted,  however,  if 
I  catch  him  trying  to  bolt  again." 


ANXIOUS  WAITING.  77 

After  this  discovery  of  the  intended  treachery  of  our 
servant,  we  felt  more  anxious  than  ever  to  escape  from 
the  island  ;  and  we  eagerly  looked  for  the  return  of 
Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur,  with  the  boat  we  hoped  they 
would  find. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

UNCLE  PAUL'S  RETURN — WE  EMBARK— OVERTAKEN  BY  A  FURIOUS  GALE— OUR 
PROVISIONS  WASHED  AWAY — JOSE'S  DEATH — BURIAL  AT  SEA — OUR  SUFFER- 
INGS  A    BREEZE— A   SAIL DISAPPOINTMENT CATCHING    FISH. 

f^^.|),  NOTHER  day  passed,  and  we  became  more 
^^^  and   more   anxious    for   the    return   of  our 

uncle  and  cousin.  Sometimes  our  father 
talked  of  going  back  and  braving  the  worst ; 
and  sometimes  he  seemed  eager  to  embark, 
to  get  clear  away  from  the  island  in  which  his  once 
bright  hopes  had  been  so  completely  destroyed.  Fre- 
quently he  spoke  as  if  all  happiness  in  life  for  him 
was  over,  and  seemed  only  to  wish  for  death  as  an  end 
to  his  sorrows.  He  felt  greatly  the  loss  of  our  mother  ; 
and  that  alone  would  have  been  sufficient  to  cast  him 
down.  But  he  was  also,  it  was  evident,  dissatisfied 
with  himself  How  could  it  be  otherwise,  when  he 
reflected  that  he  had,  by  his  own  act,  brought  his  pre- 
sent misfortunes  upon  himself  ?  We,  however,  did  not 
and  could  not  complain ;  and  dear  Marian  did  her 
utmost  to  soothe  and  comfort  him,  telling  him  in  a 
quiet  way  to  trust  in  God,  and  that  all  would  be  well. 


TIM  ON  GUARD.  79 

"  But  I  have  not  trusted  in  God;  I  have  only  trusted 
in  myself/'  answered  our  father  bitterly,  ''  and  I  liave, 
in  consequence,  been  terribly  deceived." 

Though  neither  Marian  nor  I  could  offer  sufficient 
consolation,  we  did  all  we  could  to  keep  him  from 
going  back,  and  were  thus,  at  all  events,  of  use. 

Several  times  during  the  day  I  went  down  to  the 
beach  and  looked  along  the  shore,  in  the  hope  of  seeing 
the  boat  coming ;  but  neither  did  she  appear,  nor  was 
any  sail  in  sight.  Tim  would  not  leave  his  post,  even 
for  the  sake  of  getting  some  birds  for  our  larder,  but 
kept  guard  upon  Jose  ;  who,  it  was  evident,  he  thought 
would  run  off  should  he  find  an  opportunity. 

"  If  once  we  get  on  salt  water,  the  spalpeen  may 
go  and  give  all  the  information  he  chooses ;  though  it 
would  be  a  pity  to  let  him  show  this  snug  little  hiding- 
place,  in  case  some  other  honest  folks  might  wish  to 
take  possession  of  it,"  he  said  to  me.  "  I  should 
just  like  to  take  him  with  us,  if  I  wouldn't  rather  be 
without  his  company." 

We  had  been  for  some  time  shut  up  in  our  retreat 
that  night,  with  the  entrance  carefully  closed.  Marian 
had  retired  to  her  hut,  and  our  father  to  one  we  had 
built  for  him  ,  Jose  was  lying  asleep,  or  pretending 
to  be  so  ;  while  Tim  sat  up  with  me,  it  being  my 
watch,  —  when  we  heard  a  slight  sound,  as  of  persons 
approaching  the  spot.  The  fire  was  burning  brightly, 
so  that  we  could  easily  have  been  seen  by  those  who 


80  THE  RETURN  OF  OUR  FRIENDS. 

might  find  their  way  to  the  entrance.  My  anxiety 
was  relieved,  however,  by  the  voice  of  Uncle  Paul ; 
and  he  soon  appeared,  followed  by  Arthur  and  Camo. 

''  We  have  no  time  to  lose,"  he  said,  after  he  had 
inquired  if  all  had  gone  well.  "  We  have  been  able  to 
purchase  a  boat ;  and  though  she  is  not  so  large  as  I 
could  wish,  she  will  carry  us  all.  We  have  brought 
her  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where  she  is  moored 
in  safety  ;  also  some  casks  of  water,  and  all  the  pro- 
visions we  have  been  able  to  procure.  We  should  em- 
bark at  once,  so  as  to  be  away  from  the  land  before 
morning  dawns." 

Our  father,  who  had  been  sleeping  lightly,  awoke  on 
hearing  Uncle  Paul's  voice,  and  he  seemed  well  satisfied 
with  the  arrangements  which  had  been  made.  ''  I  am 
perfectly  ready  to  start,  and  shall  rejoice  to  get  away 
from  this  unhappy  country,"  he  added. 

I  awoke  Marian,  who  was  equally  ready  to  start ; 
and  we  at  once  set  to  work  to  pack  up  all  the  pro- 
visions we  had  collected.  With  these  we  loaded  our- 
selves, Jose  takinor  one  of  the  heaviest  packao-es. 

''  You  will  accompany  us,"  said  my  father  to  him. 
"  If  you  have  the  regard  for  me  3^ou  profess,  you  will 
willingly  go  ;  and  should  we  hear  favourable  accounts 
of  the  progress  of  events  in  the  island,  you  will  be  able 
to  return,  should  you  wish  it." 

''  It  is  my  wish  to  obey  you,  seno]-,"  answered  Jose. 
"  Had  it  not  been  for  Senor  Guy  and  Tim,  I  should 


QUITTING  OUR  RETREAT.  81 

have  been  killed  by  that  dreadful  serpent ;  and  I  am 
thankful  to  them  for  saving  my  hfe." 

"  Notwithstanding  all  he  says,  I  will  keep  an  eye 
on  him/'  whispered  Tim  to  me.  "  If  he  tries  to  give 
us  leg-bail,  I  will  be  after  him,  and  show  him  that  I 
have  as  good  a  pair  of  heels  as  he  has." 

We  were  quickly  ready  ;  and  having  extinguished 
the  fire,  to  prevent  the  risk  of  it  spreading  to  the 
forest,  we  all  set  out, — Camo  leading  the  way,  Arthur 
assisting  Marion,  while  Tim  and  I  brought  up  the 
rear. 

''  Stop  a  moment,"  said  Camo,  when  we  all  got  out- 
side. "  I  will  close  the  entrance,  so  that  no  strangers 
may  find  it."  Putting  down  his  load,  he  drew  together 
the  bushes  amid  which  we  had  passed,  as  had  been 
our  custom  from  the  first. 

We  walked  in  silence  through  the  wood  till  we  got 
down  to  the  sea-shore,  when,  continuing  along  it  for 
nearly  a  mile,  we  at  length  reached  a  little  harbour 
formed  by  a  bay  at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  Here  we 
found  the  boat,  with  the  two  natives  guarding  her. 
She  appeared,  indeed,  very  small  for  the  long  voyage 
we  contemplated,  though  sufficiently  large  to  hold  all 
our  party.  Uncle  Paul  was  the  only  seafaring  person 
among  us,  for  in  his  early  days  he  had  been  a  sailor ; 
but  ray  cousin  and  I,  as  well  as  Tim  and  Jose,  could 
row,  so  that  should  the  weather  prove  calm  we  might 
still  be  able  to  make  good  way. 

(540)  G 


82  ON  THE  WATER. 

Camo  and  the  other  two  natives  would  willingly 
have  accompanied  us  ;  but  it  not  being  necessary  for 
them  to  leave  the  island,  as  there  was  but  little  danger 
of  their  being  captured  provided  they  kept  concealed, 
my  father  and  uncle  had  agreed  that  it  would  be  better 
to  leave  them  behind.  They  shed  tears  as  they  assisted 
us  to  load  the  boat  and  bade  us  farewell. 

The  oars  were  got  out,  and  Uncle  Paul  gave  the 
order  to  shove  off;  then,  getting  her  head  round,  we 
pulled  down  the  river.  There  was  but  little  wind, 
and  that  was  off  the  shore,  so  that  the  water  at  its 
mouth  was  perfectly  smooth.  Bending  to  our  oars,  we 
pulled  out  to  sea  ;  and  as  we  left  the  shore  astern,  we  all 
breathed  more  freely  than  we  had  done  for  many  a 
day.  We  had,  at  all  events,  escaped  from  the  dreaded 
Inquisition,  and  we  thought,  in  comparison,  but  little  of 
the  dangers  before  us.  Having  got  some  distance  from 
the  shore  we  felt  the  breeze  come  stronger,  and  Uncle 
Paul  desired  us  to  step  the  mast  and  hoist  the  sail, 
when  we  glided  much  more  rapidly  through  the  water 
than  we  had  done  when  rowing.  The  weather,  too, 
promised..to  be  fine,  and  Uncle  Paul  cheered  us  up  by 
saying  that  he  hoped  we  should  fall  in  with  a  vessel 
during  the  morning  ;  if  not,  he  proposed  steering  a 
course  for  Tobago. 

The  boat  was  pretty  well  loaded  with  provisions 
and  water,  so  that  there  was  not  much  space  for  lying 
down.      We  managed,  however,  to  fit  a  small  cabin  for 


A  GALE.  83 

Marian  in  the  after-part  with  a  spare  sail,  into  which 
she  could  retire  to  rest.  The  task  of  navigating  the 
boat  fell  most  heavily  on  Uncle  Paul,  as  neither  Arthur 
nor  I  were  accustomed  to  steer,  while  Tim  and  Jose 
knew  nothing  about  the  matter.  Uncle,  therefore,  did 
not  like  us  to  take  the  helm. 

We  glided  on  till  the  shores  of  the  island  could 
scarcely  be  perceived, — the  weather  having  been  re- 
markably fine  ever  since  we  had  left  home.  Just  before 
dawn,  however,  there  were  signs  of  it  changing ;  and 
as  the  sun  rose  from  its  ocean-bed  it  looked  like  a 
huge  globe  of  fire,  diffusing  a  ruddy  glow  throughout 
the  sky,  and  tinging  with  a  lurid  hue  the  edges  of  the 
rapidly  gathering  clouds.  The  wind  came  in  fitful 
gusts  for  some  time  from  the  westward  ;  but  soon 
after  Uncle  Paul  had  put  the  boat's  head  to  the  north, 
it  suddenly  shifted,  and  began  to  blow  with  consider- 
able violence  from  that  quarter.  We  had  then,  under 
his  directions,  to  close-reef  the  sail ;  but  even  thus  it 
was  more  than  the  boat  could  bear.  In  vain  did  we 
try  to  beat  to  windward. 

"  We  shall  make  no  way  in  the  direction  -we  wish 
to  go,"  said  Uncle  Paul  at  length.  "  We  must  either 
run  before  it,  or  stand  back  to  the  coast  we  have  left, 
and  try  to  enter  some  river  or  harbour  where  we  can 
find  shelter  till  the  gale  has  passed." 

My  father  was  very  unwilling  to  return  to  the 
island,   fearing  that  we   should   be   suspected   by  the 


84  PULLING   FOR  LIFE. 

authorities  of  any  place  where  we  might  land,  and  be 
delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  government. 

We  were  now  steering  to  the  southward,  in  a  direc- 
tion exactly  opposite  to  what  we  wished,  but  the  sea 
had  got  up  so  much,  and  the  wind  blew  so  violently, 
that  it  was  the  only  one  in  which  the  boat  could  be 
steered  with  safety.  The  more  the  sea  got  up,  the 
more  necessary  it  became  to  carry  sail,  to  avoid  being 
swamped  by  the  heavy  waves  which  rolled  up  astern. 

Poor  Uncle  Paul  had  now  been  steering  for  some 
hours,  but  he  could  not  trust  the  helm  to  any  one  else. 
The  wind  continuing  to  increase,  a  stronger  gust  than 
we  had  before  felt  struck  the  sail.  In  an  instant 
both  it  and  the  mast,  which  had  given  way,  were  carried 
overboard  ;  and  before  we  could  secure  them,  they 
were  lost.  On  this,  Uncle  Paul  ordered  us  to  get  out 
the  oars,  and  to  pull  for  our  lives.  We  did  as  he 
directed  ;  but  notwithstanding  our  efforts  several  seas 
which  rolled  up  broke  into  the  boat,  carrying  away  all 
our  water-casks  and  the  larger  portion  of  our  provisions. 
While  Arthur  and  Tim  rowed,  my  father,  Jose,  and  I, 
aided  by  Marian,  set  to  work  to  bail  out  the  boat, 
and  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  we  could  keep 
her  clear. 

Our  position  had  now  become  extremely  critical. 
Uncle  Paul  kept  as  calm  as  at  first,  directing  us  what 
to  do  ;  but  I  knew  by  the  tone  of  his  voice  that  he 
had  gi-eat  fears  for  our  safety.      Indeed,  had  the  gale 


OUR  PROVISIONS  WASHED  OVERBOARD.  85 

continued  to  increase,  no  linman  power  could  liave 
saved  us.  Providentially,  after  the  last  violent  blast 
it  began  to  subside  ]  but  the  sea  was  still  too  high  to 
allow  us  to  make  headway  against  it.  As  soon  as  we 
had  somewhat  cleared  the  boat  of  water,  Jose  and  I 
resumed  our  oars  ;  but,  notwithstanding  all  our  efforts, 
the  summits  of  the  foaming  weaves  occasionally  broke 
aboard,  and  we  had  to  recommence  bailing. 

We  were  thus  employed  when  Uncle  Paul  cried  out, 
— "  Take  to  your  oars  !  Pull — pull  away  for  your 
lives  !  "  We  did  our  utmost,  but  the  top  of  another 
heavy  sea,  like  a  mountain,  wdiich  rolled  up  astern, 
broke  aboard  and  carried  away  nearly  the  w^hole  of 
our  remaining  stock  of  provisions  ;  and  had  not  Uncle 
Paul  at  the  moment  grasped  hold  of  Marian,  she 
also  w^ould,  I  believe,  have  been  washed  away.  An- 
other such  sea  would  speedily  have  swamped  us.  We, 
of  course,  had  again  to  bail  away  with  all  our  might ; 
but  it  took  some  time  before  the  boat  could  be  cleared 
of  water.  When  we  at  length  got  her  to  rights,  and 
looked  round  for  our  oars,  w^e  found,  to  our  dismay, 
that  both  Jose's  and  mine  had  been  carried  overboard, 
thus  leaving  only  two  with  which  to  pull  on  the  boat ; 
while  we  had  only  the  small  sail  which  had  formed  the 
covering  to  Marian's  cabin. 

The  gale  continued  for  two  days  longer ;  and  it 
seemed  surprising  that  my  young  sister,  poor  girl, 
should  have  survived  the  hardships  she  had  to  endure. 


83  IN  A  SAD  CONDITION. 

One  small  cask,  only  partly  full  of  water,  remained, 
with  two  packages  of  dried  manatee  flesh,  and  a  few 
oranges  and  other  fruits, — which  were,  besides,  fast 
spoiling.  Uncle  Paul  served  them  out  with  the  great- 
est care ;  giving  Marian,  however,  a  larger  portion 
than  the  rest  of  us — though  he  did  not  tell  her  so,  lest 
she  should  refuse  to  take  it.  Our  poor  father  lay  in 
the  bottom  of  the  boat,  so  prostrated,  that  had  we  not 
propped  him  up  and  fed  him,  he  would  soon  have  suc- 
cumbed. Jose  was  in  even  a  worse  condition.  He 
evidently  had  not  recovered  from  the  injuries  he  had 
received  in  the  coils  of  the  anaconda ;  and  when  I 
asked  Uncle  Paul  if  he  thought  he  would  recover,  he 
shook  his  head. 

''  He  will  be  the  first  among  us  to  go,"  he  answered 
in  a  most  dispirited  way. 

Jose  was  groaning,  crouched  down  in  the  bows  of 
the  boat.  Tim's  compassionate  heart  was  moved  ;  he 
went  and  placed  himself  by  his  side. 

"  Cheer  up,"  he  said.  ''  We  may  fall  in  with  a 
vessel  before  long,  when  we  shall  have  plenty  of  grub, 
and  you  will  soon  get  all  to  rights." 

"  No,  no  !  "  groaned  Jose  ;  ''  my  doom  is  fixed  ;  it 
sei-ves  me  right,  for  I  intended  to  betray  you  for  the 
sake  of  the  reward  I  expected  to  repeive.  I  am  dying 
— I  know  it ;  but  I  wish  that  I  had  a  priest  to  whom 
I  might  confess  my  sins,  and  die  in  peace." 

"  Confess  them,  my  friend,  to  One  who  is  ready  to 


JOSE  LEARNS  THE  TRUTH.  87 

hear  the  sinner  who  comes  to  Him — our  great  Hi  oh 
Priest  in  heaven,"  answered  Tim,  who,  like  most  Irish 
Protestants,  was  well  instructed  in  the  truths  of 
Christianity.  ''Depend  on  it,  all  here  are  ready  to 
forgive  you  the  harm  you  intended  them  ;  and  if  so, 
our  loving  Father  in  heaven  is  a  thousandfold  more 
willing,  if  you  will  go  to  Him." 

Jose  only  groaned  ;  I  was  afraid  that  he  did  not 
clearly  understand  what  Tim  said,  so  Arthur  endea- 
voured to  explain  the  matter. 

"  God  allows  all  those  who  turn  to  Him,  and  place 
their  faith  in  the  all-perfect  atonement  of  His  blessed 
Son,  to  come  boldly  to  the  throne  of  grace,  without 
the  intervention  of  any  human  being,"  he  said. 

''  I  see  !  I  see  !  "  said  the  dying  man.  ''  What  a 
blessed  truth  is  that!  How  dreadful  would  otherwise 
be  our  fate  out  here  on  the  ocean,  without  the  possi- 
bility of  getting  a  priest  to  whom  to  confess  our  sins." 

I,  of  course,  give  a  mere  outline  of  what  I  heard, 
and  cannot  pretend  to  translate  exactly  what  they 
said,      Jose,  however,  appeared  much  comforted. 

The  wind  had  by  this  time  entirely  gone  down,  and 
the  sea  was  becoming  smoother  and  smoother.  At 
length  night  came  on.  Jose  still  breathed  ;  but  he 
was  speechless,  though  I  think  he  understood  what 
was  said.  Either  Arthur  or  Tim  sat  by  him,  while 
Marian  and  I  supported  our  father.  Uncle  Paul,  over- 
come by  fatigue,  had  gone  to   sleep.      Just  as  the  sun 


83  DEATH  OF  JOSE. 

rose,  Jose  breathed  his  last.  Our  father,  who  had  slept 
for  some  time,  by  this  time  appeared  greatly  refreshed  ; 
and  after  he  had  taken  some  food,  a  little  water,  and  an 
orange,  he  was  able  to  sit  up,  and  we  began  to  hope 
that  he  would  recover.  We  did  not  tell  him  of  Jose's 
death,  but  soon  his  eye  fell  on  the  bow  of  the  boat. 
"God  is  indeed  merciful,  to  have  spared  me.  I  might 
have  been  like  that  poor  man,"  he  observed. 

We  waited  till  Uncle  Paul  awoke,  to  learn  what  to 
do,  and  he  at  once  said  that  we  must  bury  poor  Jose. 
I  sat  with  Marian  in  the  stern  of  the  boat,  while 
Uncle  Paul  and  Tim  lifted  Jose's  body  up  to  the  side; 
and  the  latter  fastened  a  piece  of  stone,  which  served 
as  ballast,  to  his  feet.  Our  uncle  having  uttered  an 
earnest  prayer  that  we  might  all  be  preserved,  they 
then  let  the  corpse  drop  gently  into  the  water,  where 
it  quickly  disappeared  beneath  the  surface.  It  was  a 
sad  sight,  and  poor  Marian  looked  on  with  horror  in 
her  countenance.  I  wished  that  she  could  have  been 
spared  the  spectacle. 

Our  stock  of  provisions  and  water  would  now 
last  us  scarcely  a  couple  of  days,  and  no  land  was  in 
siixht.  Uncle  Paul  calculated,  however,  that  we  must 
be  some  fifteen  or  twenty  leagues  to  the  south-east  of 
Cape  Galeota,  the  most  southern  point  of  Trinidad. 
The  brown  colour  of  the  water  also  showed  that  we 
were  off  the  mouth  of  the  mighty  Orinoco,  though 
probably  many  leagues  away  from  it.      Had  we  pos- 


'URIAL     OF    JOSE. 


A  CALM.  PI 

sessed  our  full  strength  and  four  oars,  we  might  in 
time  have  reached  the  shore  ;  but,  weak  as  we  were, 
and  with  only  a  couple  of  oars,  we  could  have  but 
little  hope  of  doing  so.  We  still  trusted  to  falling  in 
with  a  vessel ;  but  as  we  gazed  round  over  the  glit- 
tering surface  of  the  ocean,  not  a  sail  appeared.  While 
the  calm  lasted,  none  indeed  could  approach  us ;  and  too 
probably,  before  a  breeze  would  spring  up  our  scanty 
stock  of  provisions  might  be  exhausted. 

"  Cheer  up,  my  friends  ;  let  us  still  trust  in  God," 
said  Uncle  Paul  at  length.  "  It  is  wrong  to  give  way 
to  despair.  There's  One  above  who  watches  over  us, 
and  orders  all  for  the  best." 

"  Let  us  pray  to  Him,  then,"  exclaimed  Marian, 
kneeling  down  ;  and  following  the  example  of  the 
dear  girl,  we  lifted  up  our  voices  together  for  safety 
and  protection. 

We  all  felt  comforted,  and  even  our  poor  father's 
countenance  looked  less  downcast  than  before.  That 
which  weighed  most  on  his  spirits  was,  I  suspect,  the 
thought  that  he  had  been  the  cause  of  our  being  placed 
in  our  present  position.  No  one,  however,  uttered  a 
word  of  reproach,  and  we  all  did  our  utmost  to  console 
him.  Arthur  tried  to  speak  cheerfully :  Tim  attempted 
to  sing  one  of  the  melodies  of  his  native  land  which 
he  had  learned  in  his  boyhood  ;  but  his  voice  broke 
down,  and  he  was  well-nigh  bursting  into  tears. 

The  calm,  though  very  trying,  enabled  us  to  obtain 


92  A  FRESH  SAIL. 

the  rest  we  so  much  requh^ed  ;  and  the  next  morning, 
though  suffering  from  hunger,  Uncle  Paul  was  quite 
himself  again. 

After  we  had  offered  up  our  prayers,  we  took  our 
scanty  breakfast  of  water  and  a  small  piece  of  dried 
meat,  with  such  parts  of  the  rotten  fruit  as  we  could 
eat.  Uncle  Paul  then  stood  up  and  looked  about  him. 
"  We  shall  have  a  breeze,  I  think,  before  long,"  he 
said,  ''  and  we  must  at  once  prepare  the  sail.  I  am 
sorry,  Marian,  to  deprive  you  of  the  covering  of  your 
nest ;  but  we  have  no  other  means  of  making  the  boat 
go  along." 

"  I  shall  be  thankful  to  give  it  up,  if  it  will  help 
on  the  boat,"  she  answered,  assisting  to  undo  the  lash- 
ing which  secured  the  sail.  It  was  old,  and  already 
torn,  but  with  a  strong  breeze  it  would  afford  such 
canvas  as  the  boat  could  carry.  We  had  only  an  oar 
for  a  mast,  and  another  for  a  yard.  Uncle  Paul 
stepped  the  first,  and  stayed  it  up  carefully  with  such 
pieces  of  rope  as  could  be  found  in  the  boat,  while  he 
joined  two  or  three  together  to  form  a  sheet. 

*'  We  are  now  all  ready  for  the  breeze  when  it 
comes,"  he  observed,  having  finished  his  work.  ''  I 
cannot  say  much  for  the  appearance  of  our  sail,  but 
we  may  be  thankful  if  it  enables  us  to  reach  a  port  in 
safety."  He  went  and  sat  down  again  in  the  stern- 
sheets,  resting  his  hand  on  the  tiller,  so  that  not  a 
moment  mio-ht  be  lost  after  the  breeze  should  reach  us. 


A  SAIL  IN  SIGHT.  93 

"  Here  it  comes  !"  he  exclaimed  at  length.  "  But 
T  wish  it  had  been  from  any  other  quarter.  We  may, 
however,  hope  to  beat  up  against  it,  if  it  proves  light, 
as  I  expect."  He  pointed  to  the  north-west,  where  a 
dark  blue  line  was  seen  extending  across  the  horizon, 
and  rapidly  approaching,  every  instant  becoming 
broader  and  broader.  Now  some  cat's-paws  came 
blowing  over  the  ocean,  rippling  it  up  into  mimic 
waves  ;  now  they  disappeared,  now  again  came  on,  till 
the  whole  surface  was  crisped  over  by  the  breeze.  Our 
small  triangular  sail  bulged  out,  sending  the  boat  along 
about  a  couple  of  miles  an  hour. 

Uncle  Paul  was  standing  up,  looking  in  the  direc- 
tion from  which  the  wind  came,  when  he  exclaimed, 
"  A  sail !  a  sail  1  She  is  coming  from  the  northward, 
and  must  be  bound  either  up  the  Orinoco,  or  to  some 
port  in  the  northern  part  of  the  continent.  " 

Arthur  and  I  looked  eagerly  out,  but  we  could  just 
see  a  small  patch  of  white  rising  above  the  horizon, 
Avhich  the  eye  of  a  sailor  alone  could  have  declared  to 
be  the  topmost  sails  of  a  vessel.  We  stood  on  in  the 
direction  we  were  going,  hoping  to  cut  her  off  before 
she  passed  to  the  southward  of  us.  How  eagerly  we 
watched  her  ! — now  gazing  at  her,  now  at  Uncle  Paul's 
countenance,  which  betrayed  the  anxiety  he  felt.  By 
degrees  her  canvas  rose  above  the  horizon,  and  we  saw 
that  she  was  a  schooner,  under  all  sail,  running  rapidly 
through   the   water,  and   directly  crossing  our  course. 


9d  A  BITTER  DISAPPOINTMENT. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  we  could  not  by  any  pos- 
sibility cut  her  off,  but  we  might  be  seen  by  those  on 
board.  At  length  she  came  almost  ahead  of  us.  Tim 
stood  up  and  waved  eagerly,  and  we  all  shouted  at 
the  top  of  our  voices.  We  also  attempted  to  fire  our 
guns,  but  so  wet  were  they  that  they  would  not  go  off. 

*'0h,  let  us  pray!"  cried  Marian;  and  she  and  I 
knelt  down. 

Still  the  schooner  stood  on.  No  eye  on  board  was 
turned  towards  us.  We  must  have  presented,  indeed, 
but  a  small  speck  on  the  wide  ocean.  Tim  now  waved 
violently,  but  all  our  shouting  and  waving  was  of 
no  avail.  Uncle  Paul  then  kept  the  boat  away,  to 
obtain  another  chance  of  being  seen  ;  though,  of 
course,  there  was  no  hope  of  overtaking  the  fast-sail- 
ing schooner. 

"  God's  will  be  done  !"  at  length  cried  Uncle  Paul. 
"  We  are  only  running  further  and  further  out  of  our 
course.  We  must  hope  that  another  vessel  will  come 
by,  and  that  we  may  be  seen  by  those  on  board.  If 
not,  while  the  wind  holds  as  it  now  does  we  must  en- 
deavour to  reach  the  northern  part  of  Guiana." 

Though  Uncle  Paul  said  this,  I  could  not  help  re- 
flecting that  our  provisions  would  not  hold  out  to  keep 
us  alive  till  then.  For  myself,  I  felt  more  hungry  than 
I  had  ever  before  done  in  my  life,  and  dreadfully  thirsty ; 
and  I  feared  that  Marian  was  suffering  even  more  than 
I  was,  though  she  did  not  complain.      I  was  careful, 


THE  MOTHER  OF  INVENTION.  97 

however,  to  say  nothing  to  increase  her  alarm,  though 
I  mentioned  my  fears  in  a  whisper  to  Arthur,  as  we 
weve  seated  in  the  bows  of  the  boat. 

"  I  do  not  despair  altogether,"  he  answered.  "  We 
may  very  likely,  before  long,  be  visited  by  birds,  which, 
as  we  have  our  guns,  we  may  be  able  to  shoot ;  or, 
should  a  calm  come  on,  possibly  some  flying-fish  may 
leap  on  board,  or  we  may  be  able  to  catch  some  other 
fish.  Perhaps  we  may  even  be  able  to  manufacture  a 
hook  and  line." 

"What  a  fortunate  idea!"  I  exclaimed.  '' I  have 
got  a  file  in  my  knife  ;  and  we  may  be  able  to  find  a 
nail,  to  which  I  can  put  a  barb,  and  bend  it  into  the 
proper  shape." 

We  lost  no  time  in  putting  the  idea  just  started  into 
execution.  We  hunted  about,  and  fortunately  dis- 
covered a  long  thin  nail  of  tough  iron,  which  I 
thought  we  could  bend  into  the  shape  of  a  hook.  I 
told  no  one  what  I  was  about,  however,  but  at  once 
began  filing  away  so  as  to  form  the  barb,  the  most 
difficult  part  of  my  task.  Arthur,  meantime,  recol- 
lected that  he  had  on  a  pair  of  strong  thread  socks  ;  so, 
undoing  the  upper  part,  he  produced  a  long  line,  which 
when  doubled  was  of  sufiicient  strength  to  bear  a  pretty 
strong  pull.  By  the  time  I  had  prepared  my  hook, 
greatl}^  to  my  satisfaction,  his  line  was  ready.  It  was 
not  so  long  as  we  should  have  liked,  but  still  long 
enough  to  allow  the  bait  to  sink  sufficiently  below  the 


98  A  FISH  CAUGHT. 

surface  to  attract  the  unwary  fish.  Tim,  in  the  mean- 
time, had  been  cleaning  our  guns,  the  locks  of  which, 
not  having  been  covered  up,  had  prevented  their  use 
at  the  moment  they  were  so  much  required.  We 
reloaded  them,  and  put  in  fresh  priming. 

Uncle  Paul  having  noticed  what  we  were  about, — 
"  That  is  right,"  he  observed.  ''  We  are  bound  to 
make  every  effort  to  preserve  our  lives.  While  we 
put  full  trust  in  God,  He  will  favour  our  efforts." 

The  wind  was  again  dropping,  and  the  time,  we 
thought,  was  favourable  to  commence  fishing.  We 
had  to  sacrifice  a  small  piece  of  manatee  flesh,  but  we 
trusted  that  it  would  give  us  a  satisfactory  return. 
So,  having  baited  our  hook,  and  put  some  lead  on  the 
line,  we  dropped  it  into  the  water,  letting  it  tow  astern. 
Never  did  fisherman  hold  a  line  with  more  anxious 
wish  for  success  than  did  Arthur.  He  had  not  long 
to  wait. 

''I  have  a  bite  !"  he  ex©laimed  in  a  tone  of  eager- 
ness.     "  Hurrah  !   it's  hooked  !" 

Carefully  he  drew  in  the  line,  while  Tim  and  I  leaned 
over  the  side,  to  lift  up  the  expected  prize,  for  fear 
that  it  might  break  away  at  the  last  moment.  It  was 
a  fish  nearly  two  feet  long;  and  it  fortunately  struggled 
but  little,  or  I  believe  that  it  would  have  carried  away 
the  hook.  How  eagerly  we  clutched  it ! — literally 
digging  our  fingers  into  its  flesh — and  then  with  a  jerk 
brought  it  safely  aboard.      We  none  of  us  knew  its 


ANOTHER  NIGHT  AT  SEA.  99 

name  ;  but  as  it  was  of  the  ordinary  lish-like  shape, 
we  hoped  that  it  would  prove  to  be  of  a  species  fit  for 
human  food. 

"  I  wish  we  had  a  kitchen-fire  at  which  to  cook  it," 
cried  Marian. 

"  We  must  manage  to  do  without  that/'  observed 
Uncle  Paul ;  ''  and  we  shall  not  be  the  first  folks  who 
liave  been  thankful  to  obtain  raw  fish  for  dinner." 

It  is  my  belief  that  that  fish  saved  our  lives.  Even 
Marian  managed  to  eat  a  small  portion,  which  was 
beaten  up  fine  to  enable  her  to  swallow  it.  Strange 
to  say,  it  was  the  only  one  we  caught,  though  we  had 
the  line  out  for  several  hours  afterwards.  We  were 
afraid  of  allowing  it  to  remain  unless  one  of  us  held 
it,  lest  some  large  fish,  catching  hold  of  it,  should 
carry  away  the  hook.  We  therefore  hauled  it  in  at 
niorht ;  and,  it  beinor  calm,  Arthur  took  the  helm, 
while  Uncle  Paul  lay  down  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

snip    AHOY  ! RESCUED — THE    KIND    SKIPPER ENTER   THE   ORINOCO THE   HUR- 
RICANE  TWO      MEN     OVERBOARD  —  WRECKED     ON     A     TREE AN     ANXIOUS 

QUESTION A      CURIOUS    SCENE WE    OBTAIN     FOOD QUACKO,       OUR     NEW 

FRIEND. 

^CLE  PAUL  had  charged  Arthur  and  me  to 
call  him  should  there  be  the  slightest  change 
5^  in  the  weather.  The  wind,  however,  con- 
tinued very  light,  and  the  boat  glided  for- 
ward, as  well  as  we  could  judge,  steering  by 
the  stars,  towards  the  point  we  desired  to  gain.  I 
kept  my  eyes  about  me  as  long  as  they  would  consent 
to  remain  open,  though  it  was  often  a  difficult  task. 
Several  times  I  was  nodding,  when  Arthur  aroused  me 
with  his  voice.  It  must  have  been  about  midnight, 
when,  looking  astern,  I  saw  a  dark  shadowy  form 
gliding  over  the  surface  of  the  ocean.  I  rubbed  my 
eyes,  supposing  it  to  be  a  thing  of  the  imagination  ; 
but  there  it  was,  not  many  cable-lengths  off,  coming 
up  towards  us. 

"  See  !  see,  Arthur  !      What  can  that  be  ?  "   I  cried 
out. 

"  A  sloop  or  a  small  schooner  !  "  he  exclaimed. 


RESCUED.  ^  101 

i    i  *"  »  »    >   ' 

We  at  once  called  up  Uncle  Paul.    '''''"''    '  "         ' 

"  Can  she  be  a  vessel  sent  in  chase  cf  us  ?  "  I  ?isk'e'(i, ' 

"  No  fear  of  that.  It  could  never  have  been  sup- 
posed that  we  had  got  so  far  south  ;  and  they  would 
not  know  in  which  direction  to  look  for  us,"  he 
answered. 

Still  I  could  not  help  having  some  doubts  on  the 
subject. 

"  We  will  hail  the  stranger,  and  learn  what  she  is," 
said  Uncle  Paul ;  so,  uniting  our  voices,  we  shouted 
out,  "  Ship  ahoy  !   ship  ahoy  I  " 

A  voice  replied,  in  Dutch  ;  and  my  father,  who 
understood  the  language,  at  once  cried  out, — "  Heave- 
to,  for  the  love  of  Heaven,  and  receive  us  on  board ! " 

"  Ya,  ya,"  was  the  answer ;  ''we  will  be  up  with 
you  presently." 

In  a  few  minutes  we  were  alono^side  the  strano^er,  a 
small  Dutch  trading-sloop.  As  soon  as  we  were  all  on 
board  our  boat  was  dropped  astern,  and  sail  was  made. 
Her  skipper,  Mynheer  Jan  van  Dunk,  gave  us  a  kind 
reception,  exhibiting  the  greatest  sympathy  when  he 
heard  of  the  sufferings  we  had  endured,  and  seeming 
especially  moved  at  hearing  of  those  Marian  had  gone 
through. 

"I  have  one  little  maid  just  like  her,"  he  said, 
taking  her  in  his  arms.  '*  She  must  go  into  my  berth 
and  sleep  while  we  get  supper  ready.  Poor  little 
dear,  she  has  had  no  food  for  so  many  days." 


102  ^        THE  KIND  SKIPPER. 

"  Thank*' you*  I  am  not  so  very  hungry,"  said 
•Manan -,;'  "  but  I  am  very  thirst}^" 

"  Well,  well,  then,  we  will  get  you  some  tea  ready," 
he  answered.  ''Peter,"  he  cried  to  his  mate,  ''get  a 
fire  lighted  in  the  caboose.  Quick,  quick,  now  ;  they 
all  want  food — I  see  it  in  their  looks." 

The  skipper  said  this  while  we  were  seated  round 
the  table  in  his  little  cabin,  pretty  closely  packed,  as 
may  be  supposed. 

"  We  want  water  more  than  anything  else,"  said 
Uncle  Paul. 

"  Ya,  ya  ;  but  we  will  put  some  schiedam  into  it. 
Water  is  bad  for  starving  people." 

Peter  quickly  brought  in  a  huge  jug  of  water,  but 
the  skipper  would  not  allow  him  to  fill  our  tumblers 
till  he  himself  had  poured  a  portion  of  schiedam  into 
each  of  them.  "There  now,"  he  said,  "there  will  no 
harm  come  to  you." 

Never  had  I  taken  so  delicious  a  draught.  It  cer- 
tainly had  a  very  beneficial  effect,  and  we  set  to  with 
a  will  on  some  cold  salt  beef,  sausages,  and  biscuits, 
which  the  kind  skipper  placed  before  us.  By  the  time 
we  had  finished  the  viands  we  were  quite  ready  for  a 
fresh  supply  of  liquid.  Peter  then  brought  in  a  large 
pot  of  hot  tea,  which  perhaps  really  refreshed  us  more 
than  anything  else.  Captain  Jan  had  not  forgotten 
Marian.  All  this  time  he  had  kept  supplying  her,  till 
she  assured  him  that  she  could  eat  and  drink  no  more. 


THE  SLOOP  S  CABIX.  103 

After  we  had  taken  all  the  food  we  required,  the 
skipper  and  his  mate  arranged  the  cabin  to  enable  ns  all 
to  sleep  with  as  much  comfort  as  possible.  My  father 
was  put  into  the  mate's  berth,  Uncle  Paul  slept  on  the 
after-locker,  Tim  and  Arthur  on  either  side,  and  I  on 
the  table.  I  should  have  said  that  Captain  Jan's  crew 
consisted  of  his  mate  Peter,  another  Dutchman,  a  black, 
and  two  Indians.  Worn  out  with  fatigue  as  we  were, 
we  all  slept  on  for  several  hours,  and  when  we  awoke 
our  first  impulse  was  to  ask  for  some  food,  which, 
thanks  to  the  honest  mate,  was  quickly  supplied  to  us. 
As  the  cabin  was  on  deck,  and  the  door  and  scuppers 
were  kept  wide  open,  though  small  it  was  tolerably 
cool;  and  we  felt,  after  being  so  long  cooped  up  in  the 
boat,  as  if  suddenly  transported  to  a  luxurious  palace. 
Captain  Jan  looked  in  on  us  very  frequently,  and  did 
not  appear  at  all  to  mind  being  turned  out  of  his 
cabixi,  but,  on  the  contrary,  exhibited  a  genuine  plea- 
sure in  attending  to  our  wants. 

By  the  evening  Marian  was  quite  herself  again,  and 
wished  to  get  up  and  go  on  deck  ;  while  our  father 
was  certainly  very  much  better.  He  also  wanted  to 
get  up,  but  the  skipper  insisted  that  he  should  remain 
quiet  till  his  strength  was  perfectly  restored.  My 
father  and  Uncle  Paul  had  been  so  prostrated  mentally 
as  well  as  physically,  that  it  did  not  occur  to  them  to 
ask  where  the  vessel  was  bound  to,  nor  had  the  cap- 
tain asked  us  where  we  wished  to  go. 


104  HOSPITABLE  TREATMENT. 

Captain  Jan  was  exactly  what  I  had  pictured  a 
Dutch  skipper — short,  fat,  and  fond  of  a  drop  of 
schnapps,  and  fonder  still  of  his  pipe.  He  was  kind- 
hearted  and  good-natured  in  the  extreme,  and  was  evi- 
dently pleased  with  the  thought  that  he  had  been  the 
means  of  saving  our  lives.  His  mate  Peter  was  in 
appearance  very  unlike  him  :  tall  and  thin,  with  a 
melancholy  expression  of  countenance  ;  which,  how- 
ever, belied  his  natural  disposition,  for  he  was  really 
as  merry  and  kind-hearted  as  the  skipper. 

Arthur,  Tim,  and  I  went  on  deck  for  a  short  time, 
and  found  the  sloop  slipping  pretty  quickly  through 
the  water;  but  I  cannot  say  that  we  took  a  "  turn"  on 
deck,  for  there  was  very  little  space  to  enjoy  more  than 
a  fisherman's  walk,  which  is  three  steps  and  overboard. 
We  soon  returned  to  the  cabin  to  have  supper,  which 
Sambo  the  black,  under  Peter's  supervision,  had  exerted 
all  his  skill  to  cook.  It  was  not  of  a  refined  style  of 
cookery,  but  we  enjoyed  it  as  much  as  if  it  had  been 
the  most  magnificent  banquet.  We  had  not  yet  made 
up  for  our  loss  of  sleep,  so  once  more  we  all  lay  down 
in  the  little  cabin,  the  kind  skipper  and  his  mate  still 
refusing  to  occupy  their  own  berths. 

Next  morning,  when  I  went  on  deck,  I  found  thai  it 
was  a  perfect  calm.  After  breakfast  the  oars  were  got 
out;  and  as  none  of  us  wished  to  be  idle,  we  offered  to 
take  our  turn  with  the  rest.  I  should  have  said  that 
the  vessel  belonged  to  Stabroek,  Guiana,  then  a  Dutch 


IN  SIGHT  OF  LAND.  105 

settlement.  After  having  visited  Trinidad,  she  was  on 
her  way  up  the  Orinoco  to  trade  with  the  natives. 
Had  my  father  and  Uncle  Paul  known  this,  they  would 
certainly  have  requested  the  skipper  to  carry  us  to 
Stabroek, 

"  I  am  afraid  that  we  put  you  much  out  of  your 
way,  eat  up  your  provisions,  and  keep  you  out  of  your 
cabin,"  said  Uncle  Paul  to  Captain  Jan. 

''Oh  no,  no,  my  friends,"  answered  the  honest 
skipper.  "  I  am  glad  of  your  company,  and  that  little 
girl  has  won  my  heart;  so,  if  you  are  pleased  to  remain, 
we  will  just  run  up  the  river  for  a  week  or  two,  and 
when  we  have  done  some  trading  with  the  natives  I 
will  carry  you  to  Stabroek,  or  wherever  else  you  may 
wish  to  go.  We  shall  have  no  difficulty  in  obtaining 
provisions  and  water,  and  I  have  still  a  good  store  of 
schiedam,  so,  my  friends,  you  will  not  starve,  you 
see." 

Although  my  father  and  Uncle  Paul  would  much 
rather  have  landed  at  once,  they  could  not  insist  on 
the  skipper  going  out  of  his  course,  and  they  accord- 
ingly agreed  to  his  proposal. 

We  had  been  rowing  on  for  some  time,  the  calm 
still  continuing,  when  I  saw  Peter  the  mate  eagerly 
looking  out  ahead.  Springing  up  on  heel  of  the  bow- 
sprit, he  cried  out,  "  Land  ho !  We  shall  soon  be 
within  the  mouth  of  the  river." 

"  Faith,    it's   curious   land    now,"    exclaimed    Tim. 


106  THE  MIGHTY  ORINOCO. 

"  My  eyes  can  only  make  out  a  row  of  bushes  floating 
on  the  top  of  the  sea." 

''  We  shall  find  that  they  are  pretty  tall  trees,  by 
the  time  we  get  near  them,"  observ^ed  Peter. 

All  hands  now  took  to  the  sweeps,  and  made  the 
sloop  walk  through  the  water  at  the  rate  of  three 
or  four  miles  an  hour.  Still  the  current,  which  was 
running  out  pretty  swiftly,  would  have  prevented  us 
from  entering,  had  not  a  breeze  sprung  up.  Sail  was 
made  immediately,  and  at  length  we  found  ourselves 
entering  one  of  the  many  mouths  of  the  mighty 
Orinoco,  with  mangrove-covered  islands  on  either  side. 
There  was  nothing  either  picturesque  or  imposing  in 
the  scenery,  except  the  great  width  of  the  river.  As 
we  advanced,  however,  we  caught  faint  glimpses  of 
hiofh  mountains  rising:  to  the  southward.  Not  a  sail 
dotted  the  vast  expanse,  but  now  and  then  we  saw 
native  canoes  paddling  close  to  the  wood-covered  shore, 
though  none  of  them  came  near  us.  The  intention  of 
our  skipper  was  not  to  delay  longer  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river  than  to  obtain  provisions,  but  to  proceed 
at  once  some  hundred  miles  or  so,  to  the  district 
where  the  natives  with  whom  he  proposed  trading  re- 
sided. We  had  to  keep  the  lead  going,  with  a  bright 
look-out  ahead,  to  prevent  the  risk  of  running  on  any 
of  the  numerous  shoals  and  sand-banks  which  impeded 
the  navigation;  and  at  length  darkness  compelled  us  to 
bring  up  and  furl  the  sail,  for  it  would  have  been  dan- 


AGAINST  THE  CUERENT.  109 

gerous  to  proceed  on  during  the  night  without  a  pilot 
who  was  intimately  acquainted  with  the  channel. 

I  was  awakened  during  the  night  by  a  loud  rushing 
sound,  and  on  going  on  deck  I  found  the  captain  and 
mate  anxiously  watching  the  cable. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Nothing  as  yet,"  was  the  reply;  "but  we  shall  be 
fortunate  if  our  anchor  holds,  and  we  are  saved  from 
being  carried  down  the  stream.  The  river  has  risen 
considerably  since  we  entered,  and  a  strong  current  is 
coming  down  from  the  interior." 

Happily  our  anchor  did  hold.  The  skipper  and  his 
mate  kept  watching  it  the  whole  night  through,  and 
had  a  second  one  ready  to  let  go  should  the  first  yield ; 
so  I  felt  no  inclination  to  turn  in  again,  though  I 
would  not  awake  the  rest  of  our  party. 

Next  morning  there  was  a  strong  breeze,  and  we 
were  able  to  weigh  anchor  and  run  up  against  the 
current.  When  passing  an  island  some  way  up,  a  couple 
of  canoes  came  off  with  provisions  to  sell,  when  we 
readily  became  purchasers.  Among  other  articles  we 
bought  a  number  of  land-tortoises,  which,  when  cooked, 
we  found  delicious.  We  had  also  a  supply  of  very  fine 
ripe  plums,  which  grow  wild  in  the  forest  on  the  banks 
of  the  stream.  Altogether  we  fared  sumptuously,  and 
soon  recovering  our  spirits,  began  to  look  more  hope- 
fully at  the  future.  My  father  even  talked  of  being 
able  to  return  to  Trinidad  some  day,  should  the  Inquisi- 


no  A  RISE  IN  THE  RIVER. 

tion  be  got  rid  of.  The  people  in  the  country  gene- 
rally detested  it,  and  so  especially  did  the  new  settlers, 
who  had  been  accustomed  to  live  in  countries  blessed 
with  freer  institutions. 

For  fully  a  week  more  we  ran  on,  the  wind  favour- 
ing us — otherwise  we  should  have  made  no  pro- 
gress. By  the  appearance  of  the  banks  we  saw  that 
the  river  had  risen  very  considerably,  and  in  many 
places  the  whole  forest  appeared  to  be  growing  out  of 
the  water,  which  extended  amid  the  trees  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach.  We  had  thus  an  advantage,  as 
we  could  make  a  straight  course  and  pass  over  sand- 
banks and  shallows  ;  whereas  in  the  original  state  of 
the  river  we  should  have  had  to  steer  now  on  one  side, 
now  on  the  other,  to  avoid  them. 

The  weather  had  hitherto  been  very  fine ;  but  at 
length  one  night,  some  hours  after  we  had  brought  up, 
the  wind  began  to  increase,  dark  clouds  gathered  in 
the  sky,  the  thunder  roared,  and  vivid  lightning 
darted  through  the  air. 

A  cry  arose,  "  The  anchor  has  parted  1 "  Sail  was 
instantly  made,  and  we  drove  before  the  blast.  The 
broad  river,  hitherto  so  calm,  was  lashed  into  fierce 
waves,  amid  which  the  little  sloop  tumbled  and  tossed 
as  if  she  was  in  mid-ocean.  To  anchor  was  impos- 
sible, and  no  harbour  appeared  on  either  side  into 
which  we  could  run  for  shelter.  The  trees  bent  be- 
neath the   fierce   blast  which  swept  over  them.      Our 


DRIVEN  BY  THE  TEMPEST.  Ill 

only  course  was  to  keep  on  in  the  centre  of  the  stream. 
Our  brave  skipper  went  to  the  hehn,  and  did  his  best 
to  keep  up  our  spirits  by  assuring  us  that  his  sloop 
had  weathered  many  a  fiercer  gale.  The  seas,  how- 
ever, continually  broke  aboard,  and  the  straining  mast 
and  shrouds  threatened  every  instant  to  yield  to  the 
fury  of  the  tempest.  If  there  was  danger  where  we 
were,  it  was  still  greater  near  the  submerged  forest 
on  either  side  ;  for  the  lofty  trees,  their  roots  loosened 
by  the  rushing  water,  were  continually  falling,  and  one 
of  them  coming  down  upon  our  vessel  would  quickly 
have  crushed  her,  and  sent  her  helplessly  to  the  bottom. 

Marian  behaved  like  a  true  heroine,  and  terrific  as 
was  the  scene,  she  endeavoured  to  keep  up  her  own 
courage  and  that  of  all  on  board. 

Hour  after  hour  the  little  vessel  struggled  on  amid 
the  waves,  till  at  length  a  blast  more  furious  than  any 
of  its  predecessors  struck  her,  heeling  her  over,  so  that 
it  appeared  as  if  she  would  never  rise  again.  Her 
sails  were  blown  to  ribbons,  and  the  sea  carried  away 
her  rudder.  Now  utterly  helpless,  she  drove  before  the 
gale  ;  which,  shifting  to  the  northward,  blew  directly 
across  the  stream,  bearinor  us  towards  the  submero^ed 
forest,  where  the  waves  as  they  rolled  along  dashed  up 
amid  the  tall  trees,  sending  the  spray  high  over  their 
branches. 

On  and  on  the  vessel  drove.  A  heavy  sea  rolling  up 
filled  our  boat,  towing  astern,  and,  for  our  own  safety, 


112  TWO  OF  THE  CREW  OVERBOARD. 

we  were  compelled  to  cut  her  adrift.  Before  us  arose  out 
of  the  water  a  large  tree  with  wide-spreading  branches  ; 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  vessel  drove  violently  against 
it.  Her  bowsprit  was  carried  away,  and  a  huge  rent 
made  in  her  bows,  when  she  bounded  off;  but  it  was 
only  to  drive  helplessly  further  on.  Every  moment  we 
expected  to  see  the  trees  which  were  bending  above 
our  heads  come  down  and  crush  us.  Again  the  wind 
shifted,  and  we  found  ourselves  drifting  along  by  the 
edge  of  the  forest.  We  endeavoured  to  get  a  rope 
round  the  trunk  of  one  of  the  trees,  but  the  effort  was 
vain.  Peter  and  another  of  the  crew,  in  attempting  to 
do  so,  were  dragged  overboard.  We  heard  their  cries, 
but  we  were  unable  to  assist  them,  and  they  were 
(pickly  lost  to  sight  in  the  darkness. 

On  and  on  we  drove.  The  water  was  now  rushing 
into  the  vessel,  and  every  instant  we  expected  that  she 
would  go  down.  All  chance  of  saving  her  was  aban- 
doned ;  and  our  only  hope  was  that  she  might  be  driven 
against  some  tree,  into  the  branches  of  Avhich  we  might 
clamber  for  temporary  safety.  The  roaring  of  the 
waves,  the  howling  of  the  wind  amid  the  branches,  the 
dashing  waters,  and  the  crashing  of  the  boughs  torn  off 
by  the  tempest,  created  a  deafening  uproar  which 
almost  drowned  the  sound  of  our  voices.  Uncle  Paul, 
however,  still  tried  to  make  himself  heard.  "  Trust 
still  in  God.  I  will  endeavour  to  save  Marian,"  he 
said.      "  Be   prepared,   my  friends,   for   whatever  may 


THE     SLOOP      IN      DANGER. 


THE  ESCAPE  FROM  THE  SLOOP.  115 

occur;  don't  lose  your  presence  of  mind."  Scarcely 
had  he  spoken  when  the  sloop  was  dashed  with  great 
violence  against  the  trunk  of  an  enormous  tree,  which, 
with  several  others  forming  a  group,  stood  out  from 
the  forest.  The  water  rushed  rapidly  into  her,  and 
we  felt  that  she  was  sinking. 

Uncle  Paul,  taking  Marian  in  his  arms,  now  sprang 
to  the  bows,  followed  by  Arthur,  who  grasped  my 
hand.  ''Come  along,  Guy;  I  must  do  my  best  to  save 
you,"  he  exclaimed,  dragging  me  along.  I  did  not  at 
the  moment  see  my  father,  who  was  in  the  after  part 
of  the  vessel  ;  but  I  knew  that  Tim  would  do  his 
utmost  to  save  him.  Uncle  Paul,  in  a  manner  a 
sailor  alone  could  have  accomplished,  leaped  on  to  a 
mass  of  hanging  creepers  which  the  sloop  was  at 
the  momer\t  touching ;  while  Arthur  and  I  found 
ourselves — I  scarcely  knew  how  we  had  got  there — 
on  another  part  of  the  vast  trunk,  when  we  instinc- 
tively began  to  climb  up  the  tree.  I  saw  that  two 
other  persons  had  reached  the  tree,  when  loud  cries 
arose  ;  and,  to  my  dismay,  as  I  looked  down  from  the 
Fccure  position  I  had  gained,  I  could  nowhere  discover 
the  vessel  :  she  had  disappeared.  In  vain  I  called  to 
my  father  :  no  reply  came.  I  now  perceived  the  black 
man  Sambo  clinging  to  the  upper  part  of  a  bough; 
and  lower  down,  Kallolo  the  native  holding  on  to  a 
part  a,bove  the  water,  out  of  which  he  had  scrambled. 

Just   then    the    cry    arose    from    amid    the  surging 


116  SEPARATION. 

water  of  "  Help  ! — help  !  I  shall  be  after  being 
drowned  entirely,  if  somebody  doesn't  pick  mo  out  of 
this  !  "  I  recognized  Tim's  voice  ;  and  Arthur  and  I 
were  about  to  clamber  down  to  help  him,  when 
Kallolo  the  native  stretched  out  his  hand,  and  catch- 
ing Tim's  as  ho  floated  by,  dragged  him  out  of  the 
water.  We  went  down  to  his  assistance,  and  soon 
had  him  hauled  up  safe  on  the  bough. 

Tim  had  just  expressed  his  gratitude  to  Kallolo, 
when  he  missed  my  father.  "  Ochone  !  what  has 
become  of  the  master?"  he  exclaimed.  '' Shure,  he 
hasn't  been  drowned  ?  Ochone  ! — ahone  !  what  will 
become  of  us  ?  "  None  of  us  could  answer  Tim's  ques- 
tion. My  father  and  the  brave  skipper  had  disappeared 
with  the  vessel,  which,  with  too  much  reason,  we 
feared  had  gone  down.  Tim  only  knew  that  he  had 
found  hin:iself  suddenly  swept  off  the  deck,  and  strug- 
gling in  the  water.  Probably  an  overhanging  bough, 
as  the  vessel  swept  by,  had  caught  him.  But,  believ- 
ing his  master  to  be  lost,  he  seemed  scarcely  to  feel 
any  satisfaction  at  having  been  saved  himself 

With  the  fierce  current  rushing  by  the  tree,  and  the 
heavy  surges  which  dashed  against  it,  we  could  not 
tell  how  long  it  might  stand  ;  indeed,  every  moment 
we  expected  to  find  it  falling.  Such  must  have  been 
its  fate,  had  not  its  roots  been  deeply  planted  in  the 
ground. 

We  now  turned  our  attention  to   Uncle   Paul  and 


SAVED      FROM      THE     WRECK. 


A  SHELTER.  119 

Marian,  who  stood  in  a  sort  of  network  but  a  few  feet 
above  the  waves,  which  threatened  to  reach  them. 
Our  object  was  to  get  them  at  once  into  a  more  secure 
position. 

Day  was  just  breaking,  the  light  revealing  a  wild 
and  fearful  scene.  On  one  side  the  broad  river,  lashed 
into  fierce  waves,  foamed  and  leaped  frantically ; 
while  on  the  other  was  the  forest  region,  the  ground 
covered,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  with  turbid 
waters,  intermixed  with  fallen  boughs  and  uprooted 
shrubs  ;  while  the  trees  sent  down  showers  of  leaves, 
fruit,  and  branches,  rent  off  by  the  wind.  But  we 
had  not  much  time  to  contemplate  this  scene.  Arthur 
managed  to  reach  a  bough  just  above  their  heads, 
and  then  called  to  Uncle  Paul,  and  begged  him  to 
climb  up  higher,  so  that  he  might  get  hold  of  Marian. 
It  was  no  easy  matter.  But  at  last  he  succeeded  ;  and 
with  my  help  and  her  own  exertions  she  was  dragged 
up  to  the  bough  to  which  we  clung.  Uncle  Paul 
soon  followed  ;  and  we  were  now  all  able  to  rest  and 
contemplate  the  future.  Whether  the  waters  would 
rise  still  higher,  or  how  long  they  would  cover  the 
earth,  we  did  not  know.  Of  one  thing  we  were 
certain,  that  they  would  not  cover  it  altogether ;  but 
in  other  respects  our  position  greatly  resembled  that 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  old  world  when  the  flood 
first  began  to  rise,  and  they  sought  the  hill-tops  and 
the   highest   branches   of  the  trees  for  safety.      With 


120  MAIJA^  S  ALAPv^T. 

them  the  water  continued  to  rise  higher  and  higher, 
and  they  must  have  watched  with  horror  and  dismay 
their  ra|)id  progress.  We  knew,  let  the  flood-gates  of 
heaven  be  opened  ever  so  wide,  that  the  waters  must 
ere  long  be  stayed. 

"  Where  is  papa  ? — oh  !  what  has  become  of  him?" 
exclaimed  Marian,  looking  round  and  not  seeing  our 
father  among  us. 

''  T  trust  that  he  is  still  on  board  the  sloop," 
answered  Uncle  Paul,  wishing  not  to  alarm  her. 
"  Had  she  gone  down,  we  should  have  seen  her  masts 
above  the  water.  Probably,  lightened  of  so  many 
people,  she  floated  on,  and  may  be  even  now  at  no 
great  distance.  We  must  not  despair ;  though  our 
position,  I  own,  is  very  critical." 

"  Shure,  I  think  the  master  must  have  escaped/'  ob- 
served Tim.  ''  He  was  at  the  other  end  of  the  vessel 
when  the  big  bough  knocked  me  overboard,  and  he 
and  the  skipper  may  even  now  be  better  off  than  we  are ; 
for  if  they  get  the  craft  in  among  the  trees,  they  may 
stop  without  any  trouble  of  anchoring  ;  and  they  will 
have  plenty  of  grub  aboard,  which  is  more  than  we 
are  likely  to  find  among  these  big  trees,  though  we 
are  much  obliged  to  them  for  giving  us  shelter  just 
now." 

Poor  Marian  seemed  somewhat  comforted  by  these 
assurances,  and  asked  no  further  questions,  but  sat  on 
the  bough  on  which  we  had   placed  her,  gazing  down 


A  VISITOR.  ]21 

on  tlio  waters,  which  rolled  in  rapid  eddies  beneath 
us. 

We  were  talking  of  what  we  should  next  try  to 
do,  when  we  heard  a  loud  chattering  above  our  heads; 
and  looking  up,  we  saw  several  monkeys,  which  had 
descended  from  the  topmost  boughs,  gazing  down  on 
us, — some  inspecting  us  with  all  the  gravity  of  Turks, 
others  swinging  backwards  and  forwards  on  the 
pendent  vines,  as  if  they  felt  themselves  at  home,  and 
were  perfectly  indifferent  to  our  presence.  While  we 
remained  quiet,  they  held  their  posts.  One  big  fellow, 
especially,  with  a  long  tail  and  huge  bushy  whiskers, 
was  unusually  bold  ;  and  having  crept  along  a  bough, 
sat  himself  down  not  a  dozen  yards  from  the  native 
Kallolo,  of  whom  he  appeared  not  to  have  the  slightest 
dread.  Kallolo  began  talking  to  him  in  his  own 
language,  and  as  soon  as  he  ceased  the  monkey  chat- 
tered a  reply. 

"  He  know  me,"  said  Kallolo.  "  We  soon  be  o-reat 
friends.  Quacko  ! — Quacko  !  Dat  your  name,  I  know. 
Come  here,  good  Quacko.  Tell  me  where  you  been 
since  you  ran  away  from  your  old  master,"  he  con- 
tinued. 

"  Quacko  ! — Quacko  !  "  answered  the  monkey,  imi- 
tating the  Indian's  tone  of  voice. 

Kallolo  then  began  to  work  his  way  along  the 
bough.  The  monkey,  instead  of  retreating,  came 
nearer  and  nearer;  when  Kallolo  stopped,  still  speaking 


122  THE  NATIVE  AND  THE  MONKEY. 

in  the  same  soothing  tone.  Once  more  he  moved  on. 
It  seemed  as  if  the  monkey  were  fascinated  ;  for  I 
could  not  suppose  that  the  creature  really  understood 
the  native,  or  that  the  native  understood  the  meaning 
of  the  monkey's  chattering.  At  length  Kallolo  got 
within  reach  of  Quacko,  when,  gently  stretching  out 
his  hand,  he  began  to  tickle  the  monkey's  nose.  Then 
he  got  a  little  nearer,  till  he  could  scratch  its  head 
and  back.  All  this  time  the  monkey  sat  perfectly 
still,  although  its  companions  were  climbing  here  and 
there,  some  swinging  backwards  and  forwards  on  the 
vines,  others  making  all  sorts  of  m-imaces  at  us. 
At  length,  to  our  surprise,  we  saw  Kallolo  take 
Quacko  in  his  arms,  and  quickly  return  with  him 
into  our  midst.  Quacko  looked  a  little  alarmed  at 
us,  but  was  speedily  soothed,  and  in  a  few  minutes  he 
appeared  quite  at  home. 

"  He  has  been  among  white  men  before  this,"  ob- 
served Kallolo,  showing  the  monkey's  ears,  which  had 
small  gold  ear-rings  in  them.  "  I  thought  so  when  him 
first  come  to  look  at  us.  He  and  I  great  friends 
before  long." 

Thus  was  the  extraordinarj^  way  in  which  Kallolo 
had  apparently  fascinated  the  monkey  accounted  for. 
As  the  native  had  predicted,  the  creature  was  soon  as 
much  at  home  with  us  as  if  we  had  been  friends  all  our 
lives.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  under  the  perilous  cir- 
cumstances   in   which    we   were    placed   this    incident 


I 


A  SEARCH  FOR  FOOD.  123 

afforded  us  much  amusement  and  considerable  relief. 
Our  thoughts,  however,  were  soon  turned  to  a  more 
important  subject, — the  means  of  finding  support. 
We  agreed  that  the  monkeys  could  not  live  in  the 
trees  without  food;  and  what  assisted  to  sustain  them 
would  help  to  keep  us  alive,  though  too  probably  we 
should  soon  produce  a  scarcity. 

Kallolo  overheard  us  speaking  on  the  subject.  "  We 
have  plenty  to  eat,  never  fear,"  he  observed. 

"  I  wish  you  could  show  us  that  same,"  said  Tim. 

"  Why,  we  catch  the  other  monkeys,  and  eat  them," 
said  Kallolo.  "  You  take  care  of  Quacko,  while  I  go 
and  look  for  food." 

As  Kallolo  spoke,  he  began  to  ascend  the  tree,  and 
was  soon  lost  to  sight  amid  the  dense  foliage.  As  we 
looked  up  we  could  not  see  anywhere  near  the 
summits  of  the  trees.  We  might,  as  far  as  we  could 
judge,  be  at  the  foot  of  "Jack's  beanstalk."  Taking 
Kallolo's  hint,  Tim  tried  to  catch  one  of  the  other 
monkeys  ;  but  though  Quacko  remained  quietly  with 
us,  they  were  far  too  cautious  and  nimble  to  allow 
him  to  get  up  with  them,  and  I  feared  that  in  his 
eaorerness  he  would  tumble  off  into  the  foamino^  waters 
and  be  swept  away.  Uncle  Paul  at  last  called  to 
him  and  told  him  to  give  up  the  chase  as  utterly 
hopeless.  Uncle  Paul,  however,  advised  us  to  search 
more  carefully,  in  the  hope  that  we  might  find  either 
huts  or  fruit  of  some  sort  or  other,  or  bird's  eggs,  or 


124  BIRD-CATCHING. 

younfx  birds,  which  miofht  serve  us  as  food,  while  he 
remained  to  take  care  of  Marian. 

I  had  not  gone  far  when  I  heard  a  sound,  coming 
from  no  great  distance,  of  "  Wow  !  wow  1  wow  !  " 
and  looking  along  the  bough,  I  caught  sight  of  a  bird 
rather  smaller  than  the  common  pigeon,  but  of  beauti- 
ful plumage.  Its  head  and  breast  were  blue,  the  neck 
and  belly  of  a  bright  yellow  ;  and,  from  the  short- 
ness of  its  legs,  it  appeared  as  if  sitting,  like  a  hen  on 
her  nest.  It  saw  me,  but  made  no  attempt  to  move. 
I  had  little  hope,  however,  of  catching  it  with  my 
hands,  and  suspected  that  it  would  fly  away  should  I 
attempt  to  approach  it  nearer.  I  therefore  retreated, 
and  considei^ed  what  was  best  to  be  done.  Then,  I 
bethought  me  that  by  cutting  a  long  stiff  sepo  to 
serve  as  a  wand,  I  might  form  a  noose  at  the  end  of 
it,  and  thus  catch  not  only  the  bird  before  me,  but 
any  others  w^hich  might  be  in  the  trees.  I  im- 
mediately put  my  plan  into  execution  ;  and  a  sepo 
suitable  for  the  purpose  being  within  my  reach,  I  cut 
it.  Fortunately  I  had  a  piece  of  string  in  my  pocket, 
with  which  I  manufactured  a  noose  ;  and  returning 
along  the  branch,  I  held  my  wand  at  an  angle  above 
me,  so  as  to  let  the  end  drop  down  on  the  bird.  I  was 
more  successful  than  I  expected.  Not  till  it  actually 
felt  the  noose  round  its  neck,  did  it  attempt  to  fly-; 
but  it  was  then  too  late.  As  I  jerked  it  towards  me, 
a  quantity  of  feathers  fell  from   it.      I  got  it  speedily 


OUll  riUZES.  125 

in  my  hands,  and,  influenced  by  feeling  how  acceptable 
it  would  be,  immediately  wrung  its  neck,  and  brought 
it  down  in  triumph.  Looking  round,  I  saw  several 
other  birds  of  the  same  species,  and  was  successful  in 
catching  three  more ;  for  they  made  not  the  slightest 
attempt  to  fly  away  till  I  was  close  upon  them. 

I  at  length  returned  with  my  game  to  the  large 
branch  where  I  had  left  Uncle  Paul  and  Marian. 
Arthur  and  Tim  came  back  about  the  same  time ;  the 
one  with  some  eggs,  and  the  latter  with  a  couple  of 
tree-froo^s  of  hu^e  size. 

"  Faith,  when  a  man's  hungry  he  nmstn't  be  par- 
ticular," observed  Tim  ;  "  and  it  seemed  to  me  that 
though  these  beasts  are  not  over  pretty  to*  look  at, 
they  might  serve  to  keep  body  and  soul  together  till 
better  times  come  round." 

"  Very  right,"  said  Uncle  Paul.  "  I  trust  that 
these  few  trees  will  supply  us  with  sufficient  food  if 
we  search  for  it,  and  I  am  not  very  squeamish  as  to 
its  character." 

Sambo  brought  in  a  very  ugly-looking  lizard  ;  but 
he  declared  tliat  it  would  prove  as  good  to  eat  as  any- 
thing else.  We  now  somewhat  anxiously  awaited  the 
return  of  Kallolo. 

The  only  articles  which  could  be  eaten  with  satis- 
faction, unless  cooked,  were  the  eggs  which  Arthur 
had  brought,  and  these  he  and  Uncle  Paul  insisted 
should   be   given   to   Marian,      It   required   some   per- 


126  KALLOLO  AND  THE  FIGS. 

suasion  to  induce  her  to  take  them,  a^  she  was  unwill- 
ing to  deprive  us  of  them  ;  and  it  was  only  by  assur- 
ing her  that  when  our  appetites  were  a  little  sharper 
we  should  eat  the  frogs  and  lizards  with  satisfaction, 
that  we  could  induce  her  to  consume  the  eggs. 

We  now  discussed  the  possibility  of  making  a  fire 
to  cook  our  provisions.  There  was  room  enough  in 
the  fork  of  a  lars^e  branch  ;  but  the  dangler  was  that 
we  niiorht  set  the  whole  tree  alifrht,  and  burn  it  and 
ourselves.  Still,  we  did  not  as  yet  feel  inclined  to 
eat  the  fro2^s  and  lizards,  or  even  the  birds,  raw,  thoue^h 
we  knew  that  we  might  in  the  end  be  compelled  to 
do  so. 

At  length  we  heard  Kallolo's  voice  above  us  ;  and 
looking  up,  we  saw  him  descending  the  tree.  ''  Here, 
friends.  See  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  I  have  not  made  my 
trip  up  to  the  sky  for  nothing  ; "  and  he  produced 
from  a  grass-formed  pocket,  which  he  always  carried 
by  his  side,  a  supply  of  ripe  figs.  He  parted  them 
amono^  us,  oflferino^  Marian  the  larg^est  share. 

How  delicious  those  figs  tasted  !  They  were  both 
meat  and  drink  to  us  ;  and  we  felt  that  while  a  boun- 
tiful Providence  supplied  us  with  such  food,  we  need 
have  no  fear  of  starving. 

I  showed  Kallolo  the  birds  which  I  had  caught.  He 
called  them  bocloras,  and  observed  that  they  were 
pretty  good  food,  and  he  hoped  that  we  might  catch 
some  others  which  would  come  to  feed  on  the  ripe  figs. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

WE     LIGHT     A     FIRE A    MORNING    SCENE DESCRIPTION    OF     "  GROVE    ISLAND" 

ATTACKED    BY    MACAWS THE    SLOTH  —  KALLOLO   TAMES    A    PARROT. 

^;^^E  had  no  fear  of  starving,  even  though  we 
■■  A  f^  might  not  be  able  to  quit  our  present 
t  '^^^S:  3.bode  for  many  days  to  come,  but  we 
were  surrounded  by  dangers  to  which 
we  could  not  shut  our  eyes.  The  trees, 
vast  as  they  were,  might  be  uprooted  and  hurled  pros- 
trate into  the  flood,  should  another  storm  come  on  ;  or 
the  lightning  might  strike  them,  and  every  one  of  us 
be  destroyed.  Besides,  many  weeks  might  pass  before 
we  could  descend  and  travel  over  the  dry  ground  ;  and 
even  then,  in  what  direction  should  we  go  ?  Very  pro- 
bably we  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  savages,  who 
would  keep  us  in  slavery  ;  at  all  events,  we  should 
have  to  encounter  several  wild  beasts  and  venom- 
ous serpents, — the  mighty  boa,  or  anaconda,  or  the 
still  more  terrible  bush-master,  or  labarri,  so  dreaded 
in  this  region. 

What    had    become    of    our   father   and    the    brave 
skipper,    Jan   van   Dunk,    we   could   not    tell.      Uncle 


128  A  FIRE  LIGHTED. 

Paul  did  his  utmost  to  keep  up  our  spirits,  setting  us 
the  example  by  his  cheerfulness,  and  by  showing  his 
perfect  confidence  in  Providence. 

We  had,  as  I  have  said,  a  supply  of  food  ;  but  how 
to  cook  it  ?  was  the  question.  Kallolo  declared  there 
would  be  no  danger  in  lighting  a  fire  in  the  fork  of 
the  tree,  provided  we  did  not  allow  it  to  burn 
longer  than  was  necessary,  and  kept  a  watch  to  pre- 
vent its  extending  up  the  bark  on  either  side.  Uncle 
Paul  always  carried  a  small  tinder-box  and  matches,  so 
that  we  could  at  once  obtain  a  light.  We  accordingly 
collected  a  supply  of  dry  branches,  of  which  there  was 
an  abundance  attached  to  the  various  parts  of  the 
trees.  Kallolo  again  set  off,  taking  my  wand  and 
noose  ;  and  by  the  time  the  fire  had  been  lighted  and 
had  burned  up  sufficiently,  he  returned  with  several 
birds,  adding  considerably  to  our  stock  of  provisions. 
They  were  all  quickly  plucked  and  spitted,  and  we 
were  soon  busily  engaged  in  cooking  them.  Tim  in- 
sisted on  dressing  his  frogs,  and  Sambo  the  lizard  he 
had  caught,  both  declaring  that  they  would  prove 
more  tender  than  the  birds.  How  they  might  have 
appeared  had  they  been  put  into  a  pot  and  boiled,  I 
cannot  say  ;  as  it  was,  they  certainly  presented  an  un- 
attractive appearance.  Some  large  leaves  served  us  as 
plates,  and  we  had  to  use  our  fingers  instead  of  knives 
and  forks  ;  but  notwithstanding,  we  made  a  very 
hearty  meal.      I  tasted  part  of  the  hind  leg  of  one  of 


OUR  DORMITORY.  129 

the  frogs,  and  I  certainly  should  not  have  known  it 
from  a  tender  young  chicken  cooked  in  the  same  way. 
Kallolo  in  his  last  trip  had  brought  down  a  few  more 
figs,  one  of  which  he  presented  to  each  of  us  as  a 
dessert.  Tim  declared  that  the  banquet  would  have 
been  perfect  if  we  could  have  had  a  little  of  the  "  cra- 
tur,"  or,  in  the  absence  of  it,  a  cup  of  hot  coffee.  We 
had  to  quench  our  thirst  with  some  of  the  very  turbid 
water  surrounding  us,  which  we  brought  up  in  our 
hats. 

The  day  passed  far  more  rapidly  than  I  could  have 
supposed  possible.  The  storm  had  completely  subsided, 
but  the  waters  in  no  way  lessened  ;  indeed,  they  were 
slightly  higher  than  on  the  previous  night.  Uncle 
Paul  advised  that  we  should  all  look  out  for  sleeping- 
places,  where  we  might  rest  without  the  danger  of 
tumbling  off  Our  first  care  was  to  find  one  for 
Marian.  A  mass  of  sepos  hung  down  and  formed  a 
regular  hammock  close  under  a  bough,  and  by  care- 
fully arranging  a  few  more  sepos.  Uncle  Paul  and 
Arthur  made  it  so  secure  that  it  was  impossible  for 
her  to  fall  out.  They  told  me  to  take  a  berth  of  a 
similar  character  close  to  her,  while  Uncle  Paul  formed 
one  for  himself  on  a  bough,  a  little  on  one  side.  The 
rest  of  the  party  arranged  themselves  as  they  thought 
fit ;  Kallolo,  with  his  new  friend,  climbing  up  to  one 
of  the  higher  boughs,  on  which  he  stretched  himself, 
with  the  monkey  crouching  down  close  to  him.      The 

•       (540)  •  9 


130  A  NIGHT  SPENT  IN  THE  TREE. 

way  in  which  he  kept  close  to  the  native  showed  that 
he  had  long  been  accustomed  to  human  society,  and 
was  delighted  to  find  himself  in  it  again. 

Our  first  night  in  our  tree-home  was  passed  in  per- 
fect tranquillity.  Scarcely  a  breath  of  air  moved  the 
leaves.  The  sky  was  clear,  and  the  crescent  moon 
overhead  aflforded  just  sufficient  light  to  enable  us  to 
get  into  our  respective  berths.  We  were  all  weary 
with  the  exertions  and  anxiety  we  had  gone  through, 
and  the  want  of  sleep  during  the  previous  night,  and 
scarcely  had  we  got  into  our  nests  when  the  eyes  of 
most  of  us,  I  suspect,  were  closed.  I  just  kept  awake 
long  enough  to  see  that  Marian  had  gone  oflf  into  a 
quiet  slumber,  and  then  quickly  dropped  into  the  land 
of  dreams  ;  and  I  don't  think  I  ever  slept  more  soundly 
than  I  did  in  my  strange  resting-place. 

I  might  possibly  have  slumbered  on  till  the  sun 
was  high  in  the  sky,  but  I  was  awakened,  ere  the 
light  of  early  dawn  had  penetrated  amid  the  thick 
foliage  which  surrounded  us,  by  a  strange  concert  of 
sounds.  Monkeys  were  jabbering  overhead  ;  tree- 
frogs  were  quacking ;  parrots  were  chattering  and 
macaws  were  screeching  more  loudly  than  all,  as  they 
flew  over  the  topmost  boughs.  For  some  time  I  was 
too  much  confused  to  remember  where  I  was,  or  what 
was  producing  the  strange  din  in  my  ears.  In  vain  I 
tried  to  go  to  sleep  again,  and  at  length  I  was  com- 
pletely aroused.      My  first  impulse  was  to  look  out  for 


OUR      FIRST      NIGHT      IN      THE     TREE. 


MORNING.  133 

Mai'ian.  She  was  still  sleeping  calmly,  while  the  rest 
of  the  party,  as  far  as  I  could  discern  by  the  uncertain 
light,  were  resting  in  the  positions  in  which  I  had 
seen  them  at  night.  Gradually  the  dawn  drew  on, 
and  on  sitting  up  I  caught  sight  of  half  a  dozen  ugly- 
looking  faces  peering  down  on  us.  I  knew  that  they 
were  those  of  monkeys  which  had  descended  from  the 
topmost  boughs,  whither  they  had  retreated  when  we 
took  possession  of  their  abode.  Two  or  three  of  them 
then  approached  Quacko,  and  tried  to  induce  him  to  rejoin 
them.  He  answered  their  invitations  by  indignant 
gestures,  which  seemed  to  say  that  he  had  no  inten- 
tion, after  finding  himself  again  in  civilized  society,  of 
returning  to  savage  life.  The  noise  he  made  awoke  his 
new  friend  Kallolo,  however,  who  began  to  talk  to  him 
in  the  language  which  he  seemed  to  understand,  and 
presently  the  monkey  came  down  from  his  perch  and 
nestled  in  his  arms. 

The  rays  of  the  rising  sun  streaming  amid  the 
boughs  awoke  the  rest  of  the  party,  who,  getting  out 
of  their  respective  nests,  scrambled  on  to  the  main 
bough.  Uncle  Paul  suggested  that  we  should  set  to 
work  immediately  to  procure  food  for  breakfast.  My 
plan  for  noosing  birds  being  generally  adopted,  Arthur, 
as  well  as  Kallolo  and  Sambo,  at  once  cut  some  wands 
and  fitted  them  in  a  manner  similar  to  mine. 

We  agreed  to  let  Marian  sleep  on  till  breakfast  was 
ready.      Before  the  food  could  be  eaten,   however,  it 


134  HUNTING  FOR  BREAKFAST. 

had  to  be  hunted  for  and  cooked,  and  as  we  were  all 
hungry,  we  set  off  among  the  branches  in  search  of 
whatever  we  could  find.  I  climbed  higher  than  I  had 
before  done,  and  reached  a  small  fig-tree  growing  in 
the  fork  of  a  large  branch.  A  number  of  birds  were 
perched  on  it,  some  with  black  and  red  plumage,  others 
with  heads  and  necks  of  a  bright  red,  while  the  wings 
and  tails  were  of  a  dark  green  and  black.  They 
were  employed  in  eating  the  ripe  fruit.  I  determined 
to  catch  as  many  as  I  could  before  securing  some  of 
the  latter.  Carefully  climbing  on,  I  set  to  work,  and 
succeeded  in  noosing  four  of  each  species.  Having 
filled  my  pockets  and  cap  with  as  many  of  the  ripe 
figs  as  I  could  carry,  after  I  had  driven  the  birds  away 
with  loud  shouts,  hoping  they  would  not  return  till  I 
had  made  a  second  visit  to  the  fig-tree,  I  began  to 
descend,  though  not  without  difficulty  ;  for,  as  every 
one  knows,  it  is  easier  to  climb  up  than  to  get  down  a 
tree,  and  a  fall  from  a  branch  would  have  been  a  seri- 
ous matter. 

I  reached  our  resting-place  in  safety,  and  found 
Marian  seated  by  the  side  of  Uncle  Paul.  The  rest 
of  the  party  came  in  soon  after,  all  having  had  some 
success.  Tim,  however,  had  got  only  one  bird,  but 
he  boasted  of  having  collected  half  a  dozen  frogs ; 
while  Sambo  had  caught  the  same  number  of  lizards. 
Arthur  had  secured  a  couple  of  good-sized  parrots  ; 
and  Kallolo  had  discovered  a  macaw's  nest,  the  young 


STILL  AMISSING.  135 

of  which  he  had  taken,  with  a  good  supply  of  figs. 
Altogether,  we  had  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  our 
morning's  hunt,  as  we  had  food  enough  to  last  us  for 
the  day.  The  birds  I  had  caught  were  found  to  be 
manakins  and  tiger-birds.  The  latter  were  small,  and 
though  their  bodies  were  ill-shaped,  their  flesh  was 
tender  and  well-tasted. 

Though  our  position  was  full  of  anxiety,  we  should 
not  have  been  unhappy  could  we  have  known  that 
our  father  had  escaped.  Uncle  Paul  told  us  that  he 
had  been  to  the  end  of  a  bough  from  which  he  could 
obtain  a  view  both  up  and  down  the  stream,  but  that 
he  had  failed  to  get  a  sight  of  the  sloop  ;  neither  could 
he  see  anything  of  the  mate  and  the  Indian,  who  had 
been  carried  overboard  when  attempting  to  secure  the 
vessel  to  the  trunk  of  a  tree. 

We  collected  some  more  dried  branches  and  withered 
leaves,  sufficient  to  make  a  fire  for  cooking  our  pro- 
visions. 

''  I  wish  we  had  a  pot  for  boiling  water,"  I  re- 
marked. 

"  It  would  be  a  mighty  good  thing,  Mr.  Guy,  if  we 
had  any  tay  to  make  in  it,  and  some  sugar  to  sweeten 
it,"  observed  Tim. 

"  In  the  meantime,  we  should  be  thankful  that  we 
have  got  so  much  wholesome  food,  and  cold  water  to 
quench  our  thirst  ;  though,  for  Marian's  sake,  I  should 
be  glad  to  have  had  some  tea,"  said  Uncle  Paul. 


136  OUR  LAUDER. 

"  Oh,  don't  think  about  me,"  exclaimed  Marian. 
"  I  am  perfectly  content  to  drink  cold  water,  and  do 
not  wish  for  anything  which  it  is  impossible  to  obtain." 

'*  You  are  a  sensible  girl,"  said  Uncle  Paul,  patting 
her  cheek.  "  The  uncomplaining  spirit  you  possess  will 
greatly  aid  you  in  going  through  the  dangers  and 
hardships  we  may  have  to  encounter." 

I  must  confess  that  we  made  a  very  hearty  meal, 
though  it  would  have  been  more  palatable  had  we 
possessed  some  salt.  That  I  knew,  however,  it  would 
be  impossible  to  obtain,  situated  where  we  were.  Hav- 
ing partly  roasted  the  remainder  of  the  birds,  as  well  as 
the  frogs  and  lizards,  to  assist  in  preserving  them  we 
hung  them  up  in  a  shady  place  which  we  called  our 
larder,  under  a  thick  branch,  where  we  hoped  they 
would  keep  sweet  till  they  were  required  for  food. 

Marian  felt  her  position  more  irksome  than  did  any 
one  else,  as  she  was  unable  to  climb  about,  though 
Arthur  and  I  helped  her  to  walk  up  and  down  the  thick 
bough  ;  but  it  was  ver}^  much  like  a  fisherman's  walk, 
— three  steps  and  overboard.  However,  it  was  pre- 
ferable to  sitting  still,  and  prevented  her  limbs  from 
becoming  cramped.  She  then  went  and  sat  down 
again,  when  Uncle  Paul,  Arthur,  and  I  started  off  on 
an  exploring  expedition  through  our  gi'ove.  There 
were  not,  altogether,  more  than  seven  main  trunks  ;  but 
numberless  sepos  interlaced  the  boughs,  and  striking 
downwards,   where   they  had    apparently   taken   root, 


GROVE  ISLAND.  137 

had  again  sprung  upwards,  forming  spiral  stems,  some 
considerably  thicker  than  a  man's  body,  others  as  thin 
as  the  smallest  ropes  of  a  ship's  rigging.  We  had  no 
great  difficulty  in  making  our  way,  but  caution  was 
necessary  to  save  ourselves  from  tumbling  down  into 
the  water.  Among  the  trees  was  a  beautiful  cedar, 
three  palm-trees  of  different  species,  and  a  cotton-tree  of 
prodigious  height,  with  wide-spreading  top.  Another 
was  called  the  mulatto-tree ;  which  had  a  tall,  slim 
trunk,  and  leaves  of  a  dark  green,  with  branches 
spreading  amid  those  of  its  neighbours,  and  covered 
with  clusters  of  small  white  flowers.  But  I  cannot 
attempt  to  describe  either  the  trees  or  the  numerous 
parasitic  plants,  some  worthy  to  be  called  trees  from 
their  size,  which  formed  this  curious  gi^ove.  Several 
besides  the  fig-trees  bore  fruit  and  nuts,  aflTording  food 
to  monkeys  and  other  animals,  and  to  various  species 
of  birds. 

One  end  of  the  grove  was  less  closely  united  than 
the  main  portion,  but  still  two  projecting  boughs  in- 
terlaced, and  were  joined  likewise  by  chains  of  sepos, 
forming  an  easy  communication  between  the  two  parts. 
Arthur  and  I,  wishing  to  explore  the  whole  of  this 
somewhat  confined  region  of  which  we  were  for  a 
time  the  inhabitants,  made  our  way  across  this  natural 
bridge  I  have  described.  When  we  got  to  the  further 
end  we  heard  a  concert  of  gentle  "  caws,"  far  less 
sonorous  than  those  made  by  the  parrots  we  had  seen 


138  CONSEQUENCES  OF  BIRD-NESTING. 

passing  near  the  grove  on  the  previous  day,  the  sounds 
now  rising,  now  falling.  Stopping  to  ascertain  from 
what  direction  in  the  grove  the  noises  proceeded,  we 
soon  discovered  that  they  came  from  a  tree  which  shot 
out  several  branches  about  a  dozen  or  twenty  feet  from 
the  surface  of  the  water. 

"  Those  noises  must  come  from  parrots,  I  am  sure," 
said  Arthur,  after  we  had  listened  a  little  time.  "  We 
shall  be  able  to  get  a  fine  collection  of  young  birds, 
which  will  be  far  more  tender  than  the  old  ones.  We 
will  just  take  a  few  for  supper  to-night,  and  we  can 
return  when  we  want  more." 

Accordingly,  we  climbed  along  among  the  branches. 

"  I  see  some  old  birds  there  too,"  observed  Arthur. 
"  If  they  are  parrots,  they  are  very  large  ones.  I 
suspect  that  they  are  macaws.  We  shall  soon  find 
out,  however." 

We  had  stopped  to  rest,  for  that  sort  of  climbing  was 
somewhat  fatiguing  work  ;  but  again  we  went  on,  Arthur 
leading  the  way.  He  had  a  large  sheath-knife,  which 
Sambo  the  black  had  lent  him,  secured  to  his  waist. 
The  tree  we  had  reached  was  of  great  age,  and  was  full 
of  holes  and  numerous  hollow  stumps  of  boughs  broken 
off*  by  tempests  or  lightning.  In  each  of  these  hollows 
was  a  large  nest  with  a  couple  of  fledgelings  ;  but  no 
sooner  did  Arthur  and  I  stretch  out  our  hands  to 
seize  some  of  the  young  birds,  intending  to  transfer 
them  to  the  ba^xs  which  we  carried  at  our  backs,  than 


AN      UNEXPECTED      ATTACK. 


A  VIGOROUS  ASSAULT.  141 

the  old  birds  sitting  on  the  branches  above  us  set  up 
a  deafening  screaming  and  screeching,  while  others  ap- 
peared from  all  quarters.  Some  flew  across,  as  it 
seemed,  from  the  opposite  forest ;  others  came  forth 
from  various  parts  of  the  surrounding  foliage,  by  which 
they  had  been  concealed,  with  the  evident  intention 
of  doing  battle  for  their  young.  Down  they  flew, 
screaming  loudly,  with  open  beaks  and  flerce  eyes,  and 
surrounded  us  on  all  sides  ;  some  assailing  our  heads, 
and  some  our  bare  legs  and  feet,  while  others  got  hold 
of  our  shirts  and  pulled  lustily  at  them.  It  was  only 
with  the  greatest  difiiculty  that  we  could  defend  our 
eyes,  which  they  seemed  resolved  to  tear  out. 

"  Leap,  Guy — leap  into  the  water  ;  that  is  the  only 
chance  we  have  of  saving  ourselves!"  exclaimed  Arthur, 
drawing  his  knife  and  attempting  to  keep  the  savage 
birds  at  bay.  I  had  no  weapon  to  defend  myself  with, 
so,  following  his  advice,  I  leaped  down  to  a  part  of  the 
tree  whence  I  could  spring  into  the  water,  and  putting 
my  hands  above  my  head,  plunged  into  the  turbid 
flood,  diving  down  some  feet,  regardless  of  the  risk  I 
ran  of  striking  any  concealed  boughs  beneath  the  sur- 
face. Escaping  injury,  I  quickly  rose  again,  in  time 
to  hear  Arthur's  plunge  as  he  followed  me.  The  macaws 
darted  dow^n  upon  us ;  but  as  we  again  dived,  they 
flew  up — to  ascertain,  we  supposed,  whether  we.  had 
plundered  their  nests.  Happily,  the  current  not  being 
very  strong,  we  were  able  to  stem  it,  and  make  good 


142  THE  TREE  REGAINED. 

way,  till  we  reached  the  main  part  of  the  grove,  where, 
getting  hold  of  some  sepos  which  hung  down  into  the 
water,  we  clambered  up  again  to  a  branch,  on  which  we 
were  glad  to  rest  after  our  exertions,  having  escaped  a 
danger  which  might  have  been  of  a  very  serious  nature. 
We  agreed,  however,  that  should  we  be  pressed  for 
food,  we  would,  notwithstanding,  make  another  attack 
on  the  "  macawery,"  to  coin  a  word,  and  carry  off 
some  of  the  young  birds.  We  found  that  we  had  not 
escaped  altogether  free.  I  had  received  two  or  three 
ugly  pecks  from  the  birds'  beaks,  which  had  torn  my 
flesh,  the  wounds  now  smarting  considerably ;  while 
Arthur  had  fared  even  worse,  two  of  them  havingf 
made  rents  in  his  shirt,  and  pecked  out  three  or  four 
pieces  of  his  flesh. 

Having  rested,  we  now  began  to  make  our  way  back 
to  our  friends  ;  but  I  had  not  gone  far  when  I  caught 
sight  of  a  large  hairy  creature  hanging  on  to  a  bough 
at  no  great  distance,  apparently  watching  us  as  we 
made  our  way  amid  the  branches. 

''  0  Arthur  !  "  I  exclaimed,  *'  there's  a  bear.  He 
will  be  down  upon  us,  and  treat  us  much  worse  than 
the  macaws  have  done." 

Arthur  looked  in  the  direction  I  pointed.  "Don't 
be  afraid,"  he  answered.  "  It  will  not  attack  us.  The 
animal  is  a  sloth,  as  harmless  as  any  living  creature. 
We  may  consider  him  among  the  other  beasts  in  our 
domain  destined  if  necessary  for  our  use.      He  cannot 


A  DISCOVERY.  143 

get  away,  so  we  will  not  attempt  to  interfere  with  him 
at  present.  He  will  not  venture  into  the  water ;  and 
even  had  we  ground  below  us,  he  would  not  descend, 
as  he  would  be  sure  to  be  caught  if  he  did.  We  will 
climb  nearer,  so  as  to  get  a  better  view  of  him,  for  he 
seems  to  have  no  dread  of  us,  and  will  not  try  to 
escape." 

We  did  as  Arthur  proposed,  and  found  the  creature 
had  a  short  head,  with  a  small  round  face,  and  was 
covered  with  coarse,  shaggy  hair,  looking  very  much  like 
withered  grass.  It  had  powerful  claws  and  long  arms, 
with  which  it  clung  to  the  branch  ;  while  its  hinder 
legs,  which  were  half  the  length  of  the  others,  had  feet 
of  peculiar  formation,  which  enabled  it  to  hold  on  to 
the  bough.  In  truth,  we  discerned  what  we  had  be- 
fore  heard,  that  the  sloth  is  especially  formed  to  live 
in  trees — though  not  on  the  branches,  like  the  squirrel, 
but  under  them  ;  indeed,  it  generally  moves  suspended 
from  the  branch,  and  at  night,  when  sleeping,  rests  in 
the  same  attitude,  under  the  branch,  hanging  on  by  its 
powerful  arms  and  legs.  Its  arms  being  very  long  and 
powerful,  with  strong  claws  instead  of  fingers,  it  is  en- 
abled to  defend  itself  against  the  large  snakes  which 
frequently  attack  it.  We  could  only  hope  that  it  was 
not  alone,  and  that  should  we  require  sloth-steaks  we 
might  be  able  to  have  an  ample  supply.  We  had  no 
fears,  indeed,  about  obtaining  as  much  animal  food  as 
we  might  require,  though  it  was  possible  that  we  might, 


144  AN  ARA  PARROT. 

before  we  could  escape,  eat  up  all  the  food  to  be  found 
in  our  domain. 

At  length  we  got  back  to  where  we  had  left  Uncle 
Paul  and  Marian.  We  recounted  our  adventures  to 
them,  when  Marian  was  not  a  little  agitated  at  hearing 
of  our  encounter  with  the  macaws,  and  at  our  having 
been  compelled  to  leap  into  the  river. 

"  Oh,  how  dreadful  it  would  have  been  had  you 
been  drowned,"  she  exclaimed ;  "or  had  a  shark  or 
alligator,  or  an  anaconda,  snapped  you  up  !  " 

"  There  was  very  little  danger  of  that,"  answered 
Arthur.  ''  We  had  not  very  far  to  swim  before  we 
got  hold  of  a  branch  and  drew  ourselves  out  of  the 
water." 

"I  am  not  quite  so  certain  about  that  as  you  are, 
Arthur,"  observed  Uncle  Paul.  ''  We  all  have  reason 
to  be  thankful  that  you  escaped  the  danger  in  which 
you  were  placed." 

When  Kallolo  returned,  after  another  exploring  ex- 
pedition, and  heard  of  our  adventures,  he  said  that  he 
would  go  at  night  and  capture  the  young  macaws, 
when  the  parents  would  not  attempt  to  defend  them  ; 
and  that  he  should  probably,  at  the  same  time,  be  able 
to  catch  some  of  the  older  birds.  He  had  brought 
with  him  an  ara  parrot,  as  he  called  it,  which,  young 
as  it  was,  had  already  grown  to  a  considerable  size. 
Though  it  had  not  j^i  obtained  its  full  plumage,  its 
colours  were  very  beautiful.    Its  body  was  of  a  flaming 


ARA  AND  QUACKO.  145 

scarlet,  while  the  wings  were  red,  yellow,  blue,  and 
green ;  its  tail,  which  was  of  great  length,  being 
scarlet  and  blue.  He  had  caught  the  bird  with  a 
noose,  just  as  it  was  about  to  leave  the  nest,  and  he 
said  that  he  had  hopes  of  being  able  to  tame  it.  The 
creature  seemed  but  little  disconcerted,  and  finding 
that  it  was  treated  kindly,  at  once  fed  willingly  out  of 
his  hand.  He  secured  it  by  a  piece  of  string  to  a 
small  branch  near  us,  where  it  could  perch  at  its  ease. 
Quacko  the  monkey  looked  at  it  with  a  somewhat 
jealous  eye,  but  Kallolo  made  him  understand  that  he 
must  not  interfere  w^ith  the  new  favourite,  and  Ara 
and  Quacko  soon  became  friends. 

The  day  passed  away  in  our  truly  sylvan  abode 
much  faster  than  I  could  have  expected;  and  could  we 
but  have  been  assured  that  my  father  was  safe,  we 
should,  considering  the  circumstances,  have  been  toler- 
ably happy  and  contented.  At  night  we  all  went  to 
sleep  in  the  positions  we  had  before  occupied. 


(540)  2Q 


CHAPTER  YII. 

WE   MAKE    A    PLATFORM  —  A   SAIL  ! — THE    MISSING     ONES     ARRIVE MY     FATHER 

DESCRIBES    THEIR   ADVENTURES DUTCH    DETERMINATION — VOYAGE    OF    DIS- 
COVERY  A    CALM^I    CATCH    A    LARGE     FISH — THE     RAFT    ON    FIRE— ABOUT 

SHIP. 

I  wo  days  passed  by,  spent  much  as  those  I  have 
before  described.      The  calm  continued  ;   not 


a  breath  of  air  stirred  the  mud-tinted  expanse 
"il  JP  of  water  stretching  out  to  the  northward.  Up 
to  this  time  the  flood  had  not  in  the  slightest  degree 
decreased  ;  indeed,  the  mark  Uncle  Paul  had  made  on 
the  first  day  showed  that  it  had  rather  increased  an  inch 
or  two.  At  all  events,  there  was  no  present  prospect, 
as  far  as  we  could  see,  of  our  getting  away  from  our 
present  abode.  Arthur  proposed  that  we  should  form 
a  raft.  This  w^ould  not  have  been  difficult,  as  we  had 
several  laro^e  knives  amono^  us,  and  with  some  labour 
we  might  have  cut  off  branches  from  the  trees  and 
bound  them  together  with  sepos.  But  then  the  ques- 
tion arose.  In  what  direction  should  we  go,  even  sup- 
posing that  we  could  form  a  raft  to  hold  the  whole 
party  ?  We  might  have  to  paddle,  for  aught  we  knew 
to  the  contrary,  for  days  and  days  together  before  we 


IN  COUNCIL.  147 

could  reach  dry  land;  and  when  there,  were  we  likely 
to  be  better  off  than  where  we  were  at  present  ?  Tak- 
ing all  things  into  consideration,  Uncle  Paul  decided, 
when  his  advice  was  asked,  that  it  would  be  better  to 
let  well  alone,  and  to  remain  in  the  grove.  Vessels 
went  occasionally  up  and  down  the  river,  and  when 
the  water  subsided  we  might  be  seen  by  one  of 
them,  and  be  taken  off.  We  should  thus,  how- 
ever, run  the  risk  of  again  falling  into  the  hands  of 
the  Spaniards,  and  Uncle  Paul  especially  was  very 
unwilling  to  trust  to  their  tender  mercies. 

"  My  opinion  is  that  we  should  remain  here  till  we 
are  compelled  to  move,  and  then  make  our  way  up 
one  of  the  many  streams  to  the  south,  which  rise  in 
the  Dutch  territories,  where  we  are  sure  to  meet  with 
a  friendly  reception,"  he  observed.  Arthur  agreed 
with  him,  and  the  rest  of  the  party  were  willing  to  be 
guided  by  their  decision. 

It  was  proposed,  as  there  was  a  probability  of  our 
spending  some  weeks  in  our  present  abode,  that  we 
should  endeavour  to  render  it  more  habitable  than  at 
present.  Kallolo  described  to  us  how  a  tribe  of  natives 
in  the  neighboui4iood  make  platforms,  resting  on  the 
trunks  of  the  palm-trees,  where  they  and  their  families 
live  in  comparative  comfort  during  the  whole  period  of 
the  inundation.  The  idea,  being  started,  was  highly 
approved  of,  and  we  all  immediately  set  to  Avork  to 
get  long  poles  for  the  purpose.      A  spot  was  selected, 


148  A  PLATFORM  CONSTRUCTED. 

higher  up  the  tree,  where  a  number  of  branches  ran  out 
horizontally,  almost  level  with  each  other.  As  soon 
as  a  pole  was  cut  it  was  secured  with  sepos,  Uncle 
Paul  and  Sambo  exercising  their  nautical  knowledge 
for  the  purpose.  It  required  no  small  number  of  poles, 
but  the  little  forest  afforded  an  abundant  supply.  Be- 
fore the  end  of  the  day  the  platform  was  completed. 
We  then  built  a  hut  on  it,  devoted  to  Marian's  use. 
The  only  thing  wanting  was  a  quantity  of  clay  to  form 
a  hearth;  but  clay,  while  the  waters  covered  the  earth, 
it  was  impossible  to  obtain.  We  had  therefore  to  light 
our  fire,  as  before,  on  the  thick  branch,  on  which  it  had 
as  yet  made  no  impression,  beyond  burning  off  the 
bark  and  blackening  it.  As  soon  as  our  platform  was 
finished  we  moved  on  to  it,  though  Kallolo  and  Sambo 
preferred  sleeping  among  the  boughs.  I  was  very  glad 
to  get  so  comparatively  comfortable  a  place  for  poor 
Marian ;  whose  health,  however,  notwithstanding  the 
hardships  she  had  endured,  remained  unimpaired. 

Our  first  work  being  finished,  we  erected  a  look- 
out place  at  the  end  of  a  long  bough,  clearing  away 
the  branches  which  intercepted  our  view  up  and 
down  the  stream.  Here  one  of  us  took  post  during 
daylight,  that  we  might  watch  for  any  craft  navigat- 
ing the  river.  Should  a  Spanish  vessel  appear,  we 
agreed  that  we  would  let  her  pass  without  making  a 
signal ;  but  should  a  Dutch  or  English  one  come  in 
sight,  though  it  was  not  likely  that  any  of  our  own 


A  SAIL  IN  SIGHT.  149 

countrymen   would   visit  the  river,  we  determined  to 
do  our  best  to  attract  the  attention  of  those  on  board. 

All  this  time  there  had  been  scarcely  a  breath  of 
wind,  and  though  our  look-out  place  had  been  occu- 
pied, we  knew  that  no  vessel  could  pass  up,  and  it 
was  very  unlikely  that  any  would  venture  down  the 
stream  at  the  mercy  of  the  current.  Two  days  after 
the  look-out  post  had  been  established,  as  I  took  my 
watch  at  daybreak,  the  bright  sun  rising  above  the 
distant  horizon,  I  felt  the  breeze  fan  my  cheeks. 
Every  instant  it  increased,  rippling  the  hitherto  calm 
surface  of  the  broad  river  into  mimic  waves.  As  I 
watched,  now  turning  my  eyes  up,  now  down  the 
stream,  I  saw,  emerging  from  behind  a  projecting  point 
of  the  forest,  a  white  sail.  From  the  progress  it  made 
towards  me,  it  appeared  to  be  that  of  a  large  boat,  and 
was  certainly  not  such  as  was  likely  to  be  used  by 
Indians.  At  first  I  had  hoped  that  it  might  be  the 
sloop  ;  but  I  soon  saw,  from  the  cut  of  the  sail,  and  its 
size,  that  it  was  not  such  as  she  would  carry.  If  the 
people  on  board  were  Spaniards,  I  was  not  to  make  a 
signal  to  them.  How  tantalizing  it  would  be  to  see 
her  pass  by ;  and  yet  I  had  no  doubt  that  Uncle  Paul 
was  rio'ht  in  not  wishino^  ao^ain  to  fall  into  their  hands. 
I  would  not  call  to  my  friends  till  I  had  some  more 
certain  information  to  communicate,  so  I  sat  eagerly 
watching  the  sail.  At  length  I  saw  that  it  was  posi- 
tively coming  nearer.      From   its    height    out    of   the 


150  THE  LOST  ONES  RESTORED. 

water,  I  again  began  to  hope  that  it  might  after  all  be 
that  of  the  sloop,  which  might  have  rigged  a  jury-mast. 
Nearer  and  nearer  it  came,  and  at  length  I  saw  that  it 
was  certainly  not  the  sloop,  but  the  oddest  build  of 
vessel  I  had  ever  set  eyes  on.  As  I  gazed,  I  at  last 
discovered  that  it  was  not  a  vessel  at  all,  but  part  of 
the  trunk  of  a  huge  tree,  with  a  mast,  to  which  a  sail 
was  spread,  stepped  on  it.  No  wonder  that  it  ap- 
proached slowly  ! 

I  now  began  to  hope  that  my  father  and  the  skipper 
had  escaped,  and  that  it  might  be  bringing  them  to  us  ; 
so  I  could  no  lono'er  resist  shoutino^  out  to  Uncle  Paul, 
who  quickly  joined  me.  After  examining  it  narrowly, 
he  exclaimed  :  "  I  have  no  doubt  about  it  ,  I  am  nearly 
certain  that  I  can  make  out  your  father  and  Captain 
van  Dunk,  as  well  as  the  mate  and  the  native.  Most 
thankful  am  I  that  they  have  all  been  preserved,  for  1 
confess  I  did  not  expect  to  see  them  again." 

The  breeze  increasing,  the  log  approached  somewhat 
faster  than  at  first,  and  all  our  doubts  were  soon  set  at 
rest.  Uncle  Paul  and  I,  standing  up,  waved  our  hand- 
kerchiefs and  shouted,  to  draw  their  attention.  We  were 
at  length  seen,  and  the  course  of  the  log,  which  was 
impelled  by  paddles  as  well  as  a  sail,  was  directed  to- 
wards us.  Having  communicated  the  joyful  intelligence 
to  the  rest  of  the  party,  we  all  descended  to  the  lowest 
branch,  the  only  accessible  part  of  the  tree  from  the 
water.      I  need  scarcely  picture  our  delight  Avhen  at 


MY  FATHER  S  ADVENTURES.  151 

length  the  log  glided  up,  and  we  were  able  to  welcome 
mv  poor  father.  He  looked  thin  and  careworn,  as  if 
he  had  gone  through  great  hardships  ;  and  even  the 
honest  skipper  was  considerably  pulled  down.  Having 
secured  the  log,  which  was  of  a  peculiarly  light  and 
buoyant  character,  we  invited  my  father  and  his  com- 
panions up  to  our  platform,  where  breakfast  had  just 
been  prepared.  They  were  greatly  surprised  to  find 
that  we  had  cooked  food ;  and  they  were  ready  to  do 
ample  justice  to  it,  as  they  had  been  living  all  the  time 
on  raw  provisions.  As  soon  as  my  father  and  the  rest 
of  us  had  satisfied  our  hunger,  he  described  what  had 
occurred  to  them. 

After  we  had  escaped  from  the  sloop,  she  had  been 
driven  down  the  stream  for  some  miles  along  the 
forest ;  but  at  length,  striking  against  a  projecting 
point  of  a  log,  she  had  gone  down  in  shallow  water, 
my  father  and  the  skipper  being  providentially  able  to 
make  their  way  to  a  large  tree,  a  branch  of  which 
projected  from  the  stem  only  a  few  feet  above  the 
surface.  Here  they  rested  till  daylight.  The  skipper 
then  managed  to  reach  the  vessel,  which  had  sunk 
close  below  them,  and  got  hold  of  some  spars  and  one 
of  the  sails  ;  which  they  hoisted  up  to  their  resting- 
place.  The  second  trip  he  made  he  managed  to  get 
hold  of  a  small  cask  of  biscuits  and  a  bottle  of  schiedam. 
This  nourishment  greatly  revived  them,  and  they  began 
to  consider  how  they  could  come  to  our  assistance  ;   for 


152  THE  SKIPPER  S  BRAVERY. 

of  course,  not  being  aware  that  we  should  be  able  to 
obtain  an  abundant  supply  of  provisions,  they  feared 
that  we  should  perish  from  hunger.  In  vain,  however, 
the  skipper  endeavoured  to  recover  a  sufficient  number 
of  spars  to  form  a  raft.  On  the  third  trip  he  made  to 
the  vessel  he  was  nearly  washed  away,  so  my  father 
entreated  him  not  again  to  venture.  He  did  so, 
however,  and  getting  hold  of  a  coil  of  rope,  fastened 
one  end  of  it  to  the  branch  and  the  other  round  his 
waist.  He  made  several  more  trips,  and  recovered  a 
cask  of  herrings,  another  of  biscuits,  and  three  more 
bottles  of  Schiedam.  The  current,  however,  driving 
against  the  vessel,  already  fearfully  damaged  by  the 
blows  she  had  received,  began  to  break  her  up  ;  and 
although  the  brave  skipper  made  several  attempts  to 
recover  more  articles,  they  were  mostly  unsuccessful. 
He  had,  however,  got  hold  of  Marian's  small  box  of 
clothing,  which  had  been  saved  when  so  many  things 
were  washed  out  of  the  boat.  He  had  also  saved  a 
saucepan,  some  hooks  and  lines,  an  axe,  a  saw,  a  small 
auger,  a  few  nails,  and  some  other  articles,  which  had 
been  thrown  into  an  empty  cask.  They  had  now  no 
longer  any  dread  of  immediate  starvation  for  themselves, 
but  their  anxiety  about  us  was  by  no  means  lessened ; 
and  having  sufficient  provisions  to  last  them  for  several 
days,  they  felt  more  eager  than  ever  to  reach  us. 

They  had  seen  several  logs  floating  down  the  stream 
at  a  distance.     -At  length  it  struck   them  that  if  they 


A  LOG  SECURED.  153 

could  obtain  one  of  these,  they  might,  with  the  aid  of 
the  sail  and  the  spars  they  had  saved,  accomplish  their 
object.  It  would  have  been  madness  to  get  upon 
one  of  them  unless  they  could  manage  to  secure  it  to 
their  branch.  At  length  an  enormous  log  came  float- 
ing by,  evidently  of  very  light  wood,  as  it  rose  high 
out  of  the  water,  with  a  branch  projecting  from  one 
end.  Their  anxiety  was  intense  lest  an  eddy  might 
turn  it  off  and  drift  it  from  them.  The  gallant 
skipper  stood,  rope  in  hand,  anxiously  watching  it. 
At  length  it  came  directly  under  them  ;  so  he  leapt 
upon  it,  and  with  a  sailor's  dexterity  immediately  fas- 
tened the  end  of  the  rope  round  the  branch.  It  was 
brought  up,  and  they  thus  obtained  what  they  so  much 
desired. 

The  wind,  however,  was  contrary,  and  still  blowing  so 
strong  that  it  might  have  been  dangerous  even  had  it 
been  favourable  for  them  to  commence  their  voyage. 
The  time,  however,  was  spent  by  the  skipper,  aided 
by  my  father,  in  cutting  a  step  in  the  log  for  the  mast, 
which  was  at  length  fixed  securely  with  wedges  driven 
down  on  either  side,  and  stayed  up  with  a  portion  of  the 
rope  which  could  be  spared.  They  had  now  a  vessel 
of  sufficient  size  not  only  to  carry  them,  but  to  convey 
the  whole  of  the  party,  should  they  find  U3.  Still  they 
had  several  days  to  wait  before  they  could  commence 
their  voyage.  They  also  formed  a  rudder  with  one  of 
the  spars  ;   and  out  of  a  piece  of  plank  which  had  been 


154  PETER  AND  MACO  FOUND. 

secured,  along  with  two  other  spars,  they  constructed 
two  oars  to  assist  in  impelling  their  unwieldy  craft. 
At  last  a  light  breeze  sprang  up.  There  was  no  little 
difficulty  in  getting  clear  of  the  branch  ;  but  after  all 
their  stores  had  been  placed  on  it,  the  skipper,  by  his 
good  management,  at  last  succeeded.  The  sail  was 
hoisted,  and  to  their  great  satisfaction  the  log  went 
ahead.  They  had,  of  course,  to  keep  close  in  by  the 
forest,  to  avoid  the  strength  of  the  current ;  but  al- 
though a  back  eddy  helped  them  now  and  then,  their 
progress  was  very  slow.  Still  they  did  go  ahead. 
They  had  almost  abandoned  all  hopes  of  finding  the 
mate  and  the  Indian,  as  the  skipper  fancied  they  had 
both  been  drowned. 

They  had  been  coasting  along  for  some  hours,  some- 
times scarcely  going  ahead,  at  others  not  making  more 
than  half  a  knot  or  so  an  hour,  when  a  voice,  which 
seemed  to  come  out  of  the  forest,  reached  them  ;  and, 
looking  in  the  direction  from  which  the  sound  came, 
they  saw  two  men  sitting  on  a  projecting  branch  of 
a  high  tree,  whom  the  skipper  recognized  as  his  mate 
Peter,  and  Maco  the  Indian.  They  being  alive  proved 
that  they  must  have  obtained  food,  and  this  raised 
their  hopes  that  we  also  had  not  died  of  starvation. 
How  the  two  men  could  get  down  and  reach  the  log- 
was  now  the  question.  Captain  van  Dunk  and  my 
father  stood  in  as  close  as  they  could  venture.  Their 
fear  was  that  the  mast  might  be  cauglit  by  some  of  the 


A  GALLANT  INDIAN.  155 

overhanging  branches,  or  that  some  submerged  bough 
might  strike  the  log  and  upset  it.  Both  dangers  had 
to  be  guarded  against.  The  log  was  moving  very 
slowly.  The  skipper  therefore  hailed  the  men,  telling 
them  to  come  down  and  that  he  would  pick  them  up. 
The  Indian,  Maco,  was  the  first  to  follow  his  advice. 
Descending  to  the  lowest  branch,  which  was  nearly  thirty 
feet  above  the  surface,  he  plunged  headlong  in  ;  and 
though  he  disappeared  for  nearly  a  minute,  he  rose 
again,  and  soon  reached  the  log.  The  skipper  then 
told  him  to  take  the  remaining  piece  of  the  rope,  and, 
if  possible,  carry  it  up  to  the  branch,  so  that  Peter  might 
have  the  means  of  descending.  He  willingly  under- 
took the  task,  but  expressed  his  fear  that  he  would 
not  succeed.      Suddenly  his  eye  fell  on  the  axe. 

"  I  will  do  it  now,"  he  said,  "  without  fear." 
Taking  the  implement  in  his  hand,  and  the  rope, 
which  he  fastened  round  his  waist,  he  swam  back  to 
the  tree.  He  was  soon  seen  cutting  notches  in  the 
trunk,  one  above  the  other,  and  clinging  to  them  with 
his  toes  and  one  hand.  He  quickly  ascended,  dragging 
the  rope  up  with  him.  Peter  had,  meantime,  descended 
to  the  lowest  branch,  and  by  stooping  down  helped  him 
up  the  last  few  feet.  The  rope  was  secured  ;  then  the 
Indian,  giving  the  axe  to  Peter,  told  him  to  swim  oft 
with  it  to  the  log.  Peter  quickly  descended,  having 
only  a  few  feet  to  drop  into  the  water  ;  and  as  he  was 
a  fair  swimmei',  though  not  a  diver,  he   soon  reached 


156  A  CAREFUL  SEAECII. 

the  log,  and  my  father  and  the  skipper  hauled  him 
up.  The  gallant  Indian  then  casting  off  the  rope 
plunged  with  it  into  the  stream,  towing  it  off  to  the 
lo2r.  He  was  not  a  minute  behind  Peter,  and  was 
hauled  up  somewhat  exhausted  by  his  exertions. 

The  two  men  told  my  father  and  the  skipper  that,  on 
being  left  behind,  they  had  swum  to  a  branch  at  some 
distance  from  where  they  had  been  left,  and  having 
climbed  the  tree  to  which  it  belonged,  had  wandered, 
by  means  of  the  sepos  interlacing  the  boughs,  some 
way  through  the  forest,  till  they  reached  the  tree  on 
which  my  father  and  the  skipper  saw  them.  They 
had  obtained  an  abundance  of  food  ;  but  having  no 
means  of  lighting  a  fire,  they  had  been  compelled  to 
eat  it  raw.  Their  animal  food  consisted  chiefly  of 
young  birds,  lizards,  tree-frogs,  and  grubs  ;  and  their 
vegetable  food,  of  some  plums  and  other  fruits,  and  the 
inside  leaves  of  the  assai  palm,  and  various  nuts. 

The  sail,  which  had  been  lowered,  was  again  hoisted, 
and  the  voyage  was  continued.  Darkness  came  on,  but 
the  crew  of  the  log  was  now  sufiiciently  strong  to  be 
divided  into  two  watches,  and  the  skipper  and  my 
father  were  able  to  lie  down  and  rest,  while  Peter  took 
the  helm,  and  Maco,  the  Indian,  kept  a  look  out  ahead, 
and  stood  ready  to  lower  the  sail  if  necessary.  Thus 
all  night  long  they  continued  gliding  on,  but  very 
slowly.  This,  however,  enabled  them  to  keep  a  bright 
look-out  in  the  forest.      Great   was  their   satisfaction 


PROPOSAL  TO  BUILD  A  VESSEL.  157 

when,  the  next  morning,  they  caught  sight  of  me, — 
their  anxiety  about  us  was  relieved. 

So  great  was  our  joy  on  finding  our  poor  father,  that 
all  the  dangers  in  prospect  were  overlooked ;  and  had 
we  not  still  been  mourning  the  loss  of  our  dear  mother, 
we  should  have  been,  I  believe,  perfectly  happy. 

Our  father  was  astonished  at  the  comfortable  abode 
we  had  erected,  and  at  the  ample  supply  of  provisions 
we  had  obtained.  The  skipper  and  Peter  were,  how- 
ever, anxious  to  continue  the  voyage;  and  Uncle  Paul 
also  wished  to  go  with  them,  in  the  hope  that  the 
mouth  of  some  stream  might  be  found  near  at  hand, 
up  which  they  might  proceed  till  they  could  get  on 
dry  land.  The  grand  idea  of  the  skipper  was  to  reach 
firm  ground,  and  then  to  build  a  vessel  in  which  to  re- 
turn  to  Guiana.  He  felt  confident  that  it  could  be 
accomplished. 

"  Where  there  is  a  will  there  is  a  way.  It  can  be 
done,  and  it  shall  be  done,  if  health  and  strength  be  al- 
lowed us  I"  he  exclaimed,  with  Dutch  determination, 
which  an  enemy  would  have  called  obstinacy.  My 
father,  however,  was  unwilling  to  allow  Marian  to 
undertake  the  fatigue  to  which  she  would  have  been 
subjected.  It  was  necessary,  therefore,  even  though 
the  log:  could  have  carried  us  all,  that  some  should  re- 
main  with  her.  He  naturally  resolved  to  do  so. 
Tim,  having  found  his  master,  was  not  willing  to 
leave  him  ;   and  Arthur  decided  also  to  stop  and  help 


158  PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE. 

my  father  in  taking  care  of  Marian.  The  skipper  con- 
sented to  leave  Sambo  to  assist  in  hunting  for  food. 
I  was  eager  for  the  adventure,  and  my  father,  after 
some  little  hesitation,  allowed  me  to  go. 

Kallolo  had  consented  to  leave  the  monkey  for  the 
amusement  of  Marian;  but  no  sooner  did  Quacko  see 
his  master  on  the  log,  than  he  sprang  off  and  took  up 
his  post  on  the  further  end,  showing  very  clearly  that 
he  had  no  intention  of  being  left  behind.  ''  Pray  let 
him  go,"  said  Marian.  ''  I  would  on  no  account  detain 
him,  for  he  probably  w^ould  be  very  unhappy  if  separ- 
ated from  Kallolo."  Quacko,  therefore,  became  one  of 
our  crew,  or  rather  a  passenger,  for  it  was  not  to  be 
expected  that  he  would  do  much  towards  the  naviga- 
tion of  the  log. 

The  day  was  spent  in  making  some  preparations  for 
the  voyage  and  in  exchanging  provisions,  the  skipper 
generously  offering  to  leave  the  cask  of  biscuits,  some 
herrings,  and  a  couple  of  bottles  of  his  beloved  schiedam 
with  my  father.  "  If  we  find  the  mouth  of  a  river,  and 
believe  that  we  can  easily  sail  up  it,  we  will  return  for 
you,  as  it  might  take  us  some  weeks  to  complete  our 
craft,  and  you  would  not  wish  to  live  up  the  tree  all 
tliat  time,"  he  said. 

At  daybreak  the  next  morning  we  commenced  our 
voyage.  A  strong  breeze  filled  oui'  sail,  and  we  glided 
on  with  greater  speed  than  the  log  had  before  moved 
throuirh   the  water.      Amonc^  other  articles  which  had 


VOYAGE  ON  THE  LOG  COMMENCED.  159 

been  put  on  board  were  a  number  of  large  nuts  from 
the  cuja-tree,  with  which  Uncle  Paul  proposed  forming 
floats  or  life-buoys  for  each  of  the  party.  "  We  might," 
he  observed,  "  have  to  swim  on  shore,  or  they  might 
help  on  some  other  occasion  to  save  our  lives."  Kallolo 
had  manufactured  a  quantity  of  line  from  the  fibres  of 
a  tree  of  the  palm  species  in  our  grove,  so  that  we  had 
an  abundance  of  cordage.  After  we  were  afloat  and  on 
our  voyage,  I  could  not  help  thinking  that  we  might 
have  built  a  canoe,  which  would  certainly  have  been 
more  manageable  than  the  unwieldy  log;  but  Mynheer 
van  Dunk  preferred  the  more  stable  conveyance. 

As  the  wind  continued  fresh  and  favourable,  we 
made  pretty  fair  way,  and  were  in  good  spirits.  As 
we  went  along  we  kept  a  watchful  e^-e  for  any  indica- 
tions of  an  opening  on  our  larboard  side  ;  but  mile 
after  mile  was  accomplished,  and  only  a  long  line  of 
forest  met  our  sight.  We  sailed  on  by  night  as  well 
as  by  day,  to  take  advantage  of  the  favourable  breeze  ; 
and  by  keeping  close  in,  sometimes  even  between 
islands  of  trees,  if  I  may  so  describe  them,  we  escaped 
the  strength  of  the  current. 

The  natives,  I  should  have  said,  had  brought  a 
number  of  thin  straight  branches,  with  which  to  manu- 
facture bows,  and  arrows,  and  lances,  that  we  might 
have  the  means  of  killing  game  when  our  provisions 
should  be  expended.  Kallolo,  indeed,  understood  how 
to  make  the  celebrated  zabatana,  or  blow-pipe,  though 


160  DRIFTING  IX  A  CALM. 

he  had  not  been  able  to  obtain  the  wood  he  required. 
How  conld  he,  indeed,  he  observed,  find  the  materials 
for  concocting  the  woorali  poison  into  which  to  dip 
the  point  of  his  darts  ?  He  hoped,  however,  when  we 
reached  the  shore,  to  obtain  the  necessary  ingredients, 
and  to  form  a  blow-pipe,  with  which  he  promised  to 
kill  as  much  game  as  we  should  require. 

We  had  sailed  on  four  days,  when  we  reached  a 
point,  on  rounding  which  we  saw  a  wide  expanse  of 
water  before  us,  with  another  point  in  the  far  distance. 
We  knew  therefore  that  we  were  at  the  mouth  of  a 
considerable  river.  It  was  what  we  were  looking  for, 
and  the  wind,  which  had  changed  to  the  northward, 
would  enable  us  to  sail  up  it.  The  current,  however, 
was  setting  down  the  river,  and  just  as  we  had  eased 
off  the  sheet,  intending  to  run  up  it,  the  wind  failed, 
and  we  were  speedily  drifted  out  again.  We  could 
not  reach  a  tree  to  which  to  make  fast,  and  there  we 
lay,  floating  helplessly  on  the  calm  surface.  After 
drifting  for  half  a  mile  along  the  edge  of  the  forest,  we 
found  ourselves  in  slack  water,  in  which  we  lay, 
neither  advancing  nor  receding.  Our  food  was  run- 
ning somewhat  short,  but,  fortunately,  we  had  our 
hooks  and  lines,  and  taking  some  dried  herrings  as 
bait,  we  set  to  work  to  fish.  We  had  not  long  to 
wait  before  we  caught  several  somewhat  curiously 
shaped  creatures,  which  we  should  from  their  appear- 
ance have  hesitated  to  eat,  had  not  Kallolo,  who  knew 


FAR  FROM  IDLE.  161 

most  of  them,  told  us  which  were  wholesome  and 
which  poisonous.  Some  he  immediately  knocked  on 
the  head  and  threw  overboard.  As  we  were  unwilling 
to  light  a  fire  on  the  raft,  we  cut  them  up  and  dried 
them  in  the  sun.  Though  not  very  palatable,  they 
enabled  us  to  economize  the  rest  of  our  provisions ; 
and  the  natives,  and  even  Peter,  had  no  objection  to 
eat  them  raw. 

For  three  days  we  lay  totally  becalmed.  Fortu- 
nately we  most  of  us  had  some  occupation.  Uncle 
Paul,  the  skipper,  and  I  were  engaged  in  making 
floats  from  the  large  nuts  I  spoke  of  Having  bored 
a  hole,  we  scraped  out  the  kernel,  and  then  stopped 
up  the  orifice  again  with  some  resinous  substance 
which  Uncle  Paul  had  brought  for  the  purpose.  The 
natives,  assisted  by  the  mate,  were  manufacturing 
spears  and  bows  and  arrows.  When  not  thus  occu- 
pied, we  were  engaged  in  fishing.  Most  of  our  hooks 
were  small,  and  we  could  only  venture  to  haul  up 
moderately-sized  fish  with  them.  We  had,  however, 
one  big  hook  with  a  strong  line,  and  we  hoped  with  it 
to  catch  a  proportionately  large  fish.  We  were  not 
disappointed.  I  had  the  line  in  my  hand.  Before 
long  I  felt  a  strong  pull.  I  gave  a  jerk,  and  when  I 
fancied  that  the  unwary  creature  was  firmly  hooked, 
I  began  to  haul  away.  I  had,  however,  to  call  to  my 
friends  for  assistance  ;  for  I  thought  it  far  more  likely 
that   the   fish   would   pull  me   in,  than  that  I  should 

(540)  1 1 


162  A  PERIECU  CAUGHT. 

succeed  in  pulling  him  out.  Uncle  Paul  and  the 
skipper  then  took  hold  of  the  line.  Our  fear  was  that 
the  fish  would  break  away,  for  there  was  not  line 
enough  to  play  him,  and  our  only  way  of  securing 
him  was  by  main  force.  At  length  we  got  his  head 
out  of  the  water,  when  the  Indians  exclaimed,  ''Periecu ! 
periecu  ! "  and  stooping  down,  and  putting  their  fingers 
in  the  fish's  gills,  they  hauled  it  up.  He  was  upwards 
of  three  feet  in  length,  and  covered  with  beautiful 
scales — indeed,  I  have  never  seen  a  finer  fish.  Some 
blows  on  the  head  finally  secured  him.  The  Indians 
said  that  his  flesh  might  be  preserved  by  drying,  but 
thought  some  days  would  be  required  for  the  opera- 
tion. We  preferred  eating  some  of  it  fresh,  but  not 
raw  ;   so  we  be£can  to  think  of  lisrhtino^  a  fire. 

For  some  time  we  had  been  drifting  much  closer 
in  with  the  forest,  and  we  agreed  that  by  a  little 
exertion  in  rowing  we  might  get  up  to  some  of  the 
trees,  from  which  wo  could  obtain  a  supply  of  fuel. 
This  we  accomplished,  and  lowering  our  sail,  and  un- 
stepping  our  mast,  we  got  close  in  under  the  trees. 
With  our  axe  and  knives  we  soon  got  a  supply  of  dry 
branches.  As  no  place  presented  itself  on  any  of  the 
lower  branches  where  we  could  light  a  fire,  we  resolved 
to  do  so  on  the  log.  Having  piled  up  our  fuel, 
we  paddled  out  again  into  the  open  water.  Uncle 
Paul  had  his  tinder-box,  and  a  few  cherished  matches 
■ — not   that   we  were   entirely  dependent  on  them,  as 


CATCHING     PERIECU. 


THE  LOG  ON  FIRE.  165 

the  natives  could  always,  by  a  little  exertion,  kindle  a 
flame.  We  did  not  step  our  mast,  which,  with  the 
sail  and  yard,  lay  alongside.  Our  fire  was  soon 
lighted,  and  a  portion  of  our  periecu  was  spitted  and 
placed  over  it  to  roast.  The  fish  appeared  to  be 
cooking  famously,  as  we  sat  on  the  log,  some  at  one 
end  and  some  at  the  other.  Suddenly  a  light  wind 
got  up,  and  in  an  instant  what  was  our  dismay  to  see 
the  whole  centre  part  of  the  log  on  fire  !  Up  it  blazed, 
spreading  so  rapidly  that  we  had  scarcely  time,  some 
seizing  one  article  and  some  another,  to  spiing  over- 
board with  our  floats  round  our  waists.  Quacko  in  a 
great  fright  clung  to  Kallolo's  back,  where  he  sat 
chattering  away,  loudly  expressing  his  annoyance  at 
what  had  occurred.  Maco  made  a  dash  on  the  half- 
roasted  periecu,  which  would  otherwise  have  run  a 
great  risk  of  being  overdone,  and  leaped  after  us. 
Happily  nothing  of  value  was  left  behind,  while  our 
mast  and  sail,  being  in  the  water,  were  also  safe.  There 
we  were,  floating  about  round  the  log,  which,  from 
the  fierce  way  the  flames  blazed  up,  would,  we  feared, 
be  soon  burned  to  the  water's  edge.  "  This  must  not 
be  !"  cried  the  skipper  and  Uncle  Paul  almost  at  the 
same  time.  "Pipe  all  hands  to  extinguish  the  fire!" 
Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  they  setting  the  ex- 
ample, we  all,  as  we  floated  about  on  our  life-buoys, 
beojan  to  throw  water  on  the  flames  with  our  hands. 
"  Heave  away,  my  lads  !  heave  away,  and  put  out 


166  A  FEAST  AT  LAST. 

the  flames!"  cried  Uncle  Paul.  Fortunately  the  fire 
had  not  got  any  real  hold  on  the  log,  having  fed  chiefly 
on  the  dry  mass  of  parasitic  plants  which  thickly 
covered  it,  so  that,  by  throwing  water  over  it  merely 
with  the  palms  of  our  hands,  we  managed  in  a  short 
time  to  put  it  out.  Maco,  who  was  the  first  to  climb 
on  to  the  deck,  uttering  a  loud  cry  jumped  off"  again 
still  more  rapidly,  it  being  as  yet  far  too  hot  to  make 
a  comfortable  resting-place.  We  therefore  continued 
for  some  time  longer  to  throw  up  the  water  to  cool  it. 

At  lenfjth  we  ag-ain  ventured  on  board.  It  looked 
something  like  the  bottom  of  a  coal  barge  in  a  rainy 
day  ;  it  was  covered  with  saturated  cinders,  which  it 
took  us  a  considerable  time  before  we  could  sweep  off 
into  the  water.  Quacko  looked  with  much  suspicion 
at  the  burned  embers,  as  if  he  thought  they  would 
blaze  up  again,  and  declined  leaving  Kallolo's  shoulders, 
where  alone  he  considered  himself  secure.  Having 
put  our  craft  right,  we  sat  down  to  feast  on  the 
portion  of  the  periecu  we  had  been  cooking,  and  very 
satisfactory  food  it  proved.  We  then  stepped  our  mast, 
and  set  up  the  rigging,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  proceed 
on  our  voyage  as  soon  as  the  wind  should  again  spring 
up.  It  came  sooner  than  we  expected,  but  instead  of 
blowing  up  the  stream,  it  came  directly  down,  and 
both  the  skipper  and  Uncle  Paul  agreed  that  it  was 
likely  to  continue  in  the  same  quarter  for  several  days. 

W^e  had  now  run  somewhat  short  of  provisions,  and 


OUR      LOG     ON      FIRE. 


RETURN  TO  GROVE  ISLAND.  169 

had  made  but  inconsiderable  progress  on  our  voyage 
of  discovery.  Uncle  Paul  therefore  proposed  that  wo 
should  go  back  to  our  friends,  and  wait  till  the  wind 
should  again  shift  to  its  old  quarter.  Unless,  indeed, 
we  could  secure  the  log  to  a  tree,  we  should  be 
drifted  back  several  miles.  We  might  obtain  food  by 
climbing  the  trees,  but  we  were  not  likely  to  catch 
any  fish  while  we  remained  close  to  them,  and  we 
should  probably,  after  all,  have  to  put  back  in  want 
of  provisions.  These  arguments  prevailed  with  the 
skipper.  The  head  of  the  log  was  got  round,  sail  was 
made,  and  we  glided  back  at  a  much  faster  rate  than 
we  had  come  up  against  the  current. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ARRIVAL  AT  (JKOVE  ISLAND— SEARCH  FOR  PROVISIONS — CAPTURE  OF  THE  SLOTH 
— SMOKED  SLOTH — DEPARTURE  FROM  GROVE  ISLAND — A  FEARFUL  ATTACK 
—  UP   AN   IGARAPE — THE   INDIAN   ENCAMPMENT. 

flE  sun  was  just  setting  when  we  reached  the 
clump  of  trees  where  we  had  left  our  friends, 
and  lowerino'  our  mast,  we  paddled  on  to  the 
landing-place.  As  might  be  supposed,  they 
were  very  much  surprised  at  seeing  us  return,  and 
naturally  fancied  that  some  accident  had  happened. 

*'What  is  the  matter?"  asked  Arthur,  who  hurried 
down  to  meet  us. 

*'  Nothing  the  matter,  my  friends,  only  a  foul  wind 
has  driven  us  back  into  port,"  answered  the  skipper, 
laughing.  "  Ya,  jsi  1  we  shall  sail  again  soon  with  a 
fair  breeze,  and  we  mean  to  complete  our  voyage  the 
next  time." 

We  found  that  everj^thing  had  been  going  on  quietly 
during  our  absence.  My  father  had  gradually  re- 
covered his  strength,  and  Marian  felt  much  better 
from  being  able  to  take  a  walk  on  the  platform.  A 
hut  had  been  constructed  for  her  of  palm  leaves,   at 


DESIGNS  ON  THE  SLOTH.  171 

Arthur's  suggestion.  Arthur,  Tim,  and  the  black  had 
been  successful  in  their  hunting  expeditions.  They 
had,  wisely,  not  ventured  again  into  the  macawery,  but 
had  caught  in  various  parts  of  the  grove  several 
parrots  and  other  birds.  They  had  again  seen  the 
sloth  ;  but,  as  they  did  not  require  the  creature  for 
food,  they  allowed  it  to  enjoy  its  existence.  Its 
chance  of  life,  however,  with  the  increased  numbers  in 
the  settlement,  was  very  small ;  for  Kallolo  and  Maco 
undertook  to  capture  the  poor  animal  before  dawn,  if 
they  could  find  it.  They  said  they  could  do  so  at 
that  time  much  more  easily  than  in  daylight,  when  it 
would  be  awake,  and  could  scramble  off  much  faster 
than  they  could  follow.  Kallolo  observed,  that  with 
a  blow-pipe  he  could  send  a  small  dart  into  the  body 
of  the  animal  which  would  deprive  it  of  life  in  the 
course  of  a  few  minutes  ;  but  having  only  spears  and 
arrows,  the  business  of  catching  it  would  take  them  a 
much  longer  time.  The  danger  of  shooting  the  sloth 
was,  that  it  might  fall  into  the  water  and  be  lost, 
should  it  be  found  on  a  bough  overhanging  the  river. 
Arthur  suggested  that  we  should  try  to  get  a  rope 
round  the  animal. 

"  We  kill  him  first,  and  then  make  him  fast,"  ob- 
served Kallolo.  "  He  will  hold  on  with  his  claws  till 
him  quite  dead." 

As  the  skipper  was  especially  anxious  to  have  a 
good  supply  of  food  in  readiness  for  the   voyage,   it 


V'^  A  HUNT  AMID  THE  BRANCHES. 

was  finally  decided  that  the  sloth  should  die  before 
daylight.  Arthur  and  I  told  Kallolo  that  we  wished 
to  assist  in  its  capture,  and  he  promised  to  call  us 
when  it  was  time  to  set  out  to  look  for  the  beast. 

We  all  lay  down  as  usual  on  the  platform,  our  pil- 
lows consisting  of  bundles  of  sticks,  with  no  other 
covering  than  the  roof  overhead.  T  was  still  sleeping 
soundly  when  I  felt  Kallolo's  hand  on  my  shoulder. 
"  Get  up,  now  !  Time  to  be  off!  "  He  had  previously 
awaked  Arthur.  We  were  immediately  on  our  feet, 
and,  led  by  the  two  natives,  commenced  our  scramble 
among  the  boughs  and  interlacing  sepos.  Arthur  car- 
ried one  piece  of  rope,  and  I  another.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  move  with  the  greatest  caution,  else  we  might 
easily  have  had  an  ugly  fall.  Our  guides  moved 
noiselessly,  for  fear,  as  they  said,  of  awaking  their 
intended  victim.  It  would  certainly  have  gone  to  the 
furthest  extremity  of  the  grove — as  far  away  as  possible 
from  the  invaders  of  its  native  domain.  I  should 
have  supposed  that  they  would  have  had  great  diffi- 
culty in  ascertaining  in  what  direction  it  was  to  be 
found,  had  I  not  observed  that  they  stopped  every 
now  and  then  and  examined  the  leaves  of  some  of  the 
trees.  At  length  we  arrived  at  a  large  cecropia  tree. 
AVe  observed  that  some  of  the  branches  were  almost 
stripped  of  their  leaves,  while  those  of  others,  a  little 
further  on,  were  only  partly  nibbled. 

"  Him  not  far  off,"  whispered  Kallolo.      "  Stay  here, 


THE  SLOTH  NOOSED.  -   3 

me  go  see.  Come  when  I  call."  And  he  and  his  com- 
panion silently  made  their  way  along  an  outspreading 
branch,  holding  their  lances  in  their  hands.  The 
branch  could  not  be  reached  from  below,  but  I  saw 
that  another  of  smaller  dimensions  extended  at  no 
great  distance  above  it.  The  Indians  crept  along  the 
larger  branch.  I  knew  that  the  sloth  was  to  be 
found  under,  not  above,  the  branch,  and  therefore 
supposed  that  he  was  clinging  to  the  smaller  of  the 
two,  though  I  could  not  make  him  out.  Presently  I 
saw  oije  of  the  natives  spring  up  to  the  upper  branch, 
and  make  his  way  along  it ;  then  he  again  dropped 
down  to  the  lower  one,  while  the  other  advanced  as  if 
to  meet  him.  I  could  see  their  lances  raised,  and 
presently,  at  the  same  moment,  they  darted  them 
down,  when  Kallolo  shouted  out,  ''  Come  on !  come 
on  ! "  and  Arthur  and  I  clambered  along  the  upper 
branch,  and,  directed  by  Kallolo,  we  dropped  the 
noose  of  our  ropes,  Avhich  he  and  Maco  caught  and 
passed  round  the  lower  bough,  handing  them  up  to  us 
again.  They  then  told  us  to  move  a  little  further  on, 
and  to  draw  the  ropes  tight  and  secure  them.  We 
did  as  they  desired. 

"  We  got  the  sloth  tight  now,"  observed  Kallolo. 
"Him  not  go  away  till  we  come  back  in  the  morn- 
ing." We  found  that  the  ropes  had  been  passed  under 
the  body  of  the  sloth,  which  was  thus  tightly  secured 
to  the  tree.      After  this,  we  returned  to  the  platform. 


174  ANOTHER  TRIP  PROPOSED. 

At  daylight  we  again  set  off  with  Tim  and  Sambo, 
to  bring  down  the  body  of  the  sloth.  It  was  by  this 
time  quite  dead,  and  had  it  not  been  fastened,  would 
probably  have  fallen  into  the  water.  It  was  carried 
to  the  kitchen  on  the  thick  branch,  where  it  was 
skinned  and  cut  up  ;  and  we  now  found  ourselves  in 
possession  of  an  ample  supply  of  meat.  I  cannot  say 
much  in  favour  of  its  flesh.  It  was  rather  tough  and 
sinewy;  but  under  our  circumstances  we  were  very 
glad  to  get  it.  The  only  question  was  how  it  could 
be  preserved.  The  skipper  suggested  that  we  should 
try  to  smoke  our  meat.  The  operation  at  first  seemed 
impossible  ;  but  under  his  directions  a  large  wicker- 
work  basket  was  formed,  which  was  thickly  covered 
over  with  palm  leaves.  The  meat  was  hung  inside,  and 
the  basket  was  then  placed  over  the  fire,  which  was 
well  supplied  with  fresh  twigs  and  leaves.  By  con- 
tinually replenishing  the  fuel,  we  kept  up  an  ample 
volume  of  smoke,  in  which  we  not  only  cured  sloth 
meat,  but  a  number  of  parrots  and  other  birds,  and 
several  fish,  which  we  caught  by  allowing  the  log  to 
drift  out  into  deep  water,  as  far  as  the  cable  would 
admit. 

The  skipper  was  very  anxious  that  the  whole  party 
should  accompany  him  on  the  next  trip  ;  and  he  asked 
my  father  to  venture  on  board  the  log,  assuring  him 
that  he  and  his  daughter  would  be  perfectly  safe,  and 
that  we  should  thus  be  able  to  push  into  the  interior 


PROVISIONS  LAID  IN.  175 

to  a  spot  where  we  might  build  a  vessel,  and  so 
avoid  the  necessity  of  coming  back  for  him.  My 
father  at  length  consented,  and  active  preparations 
were  made  for  the  voyage.  Before  starting,  we  had 
a  grand  hunt,  during  which  we  made  an  onslaught  on 
the  macaws,  which,  frightened  by  our  numbers,  and 
by  the  weapons  with  which  we  assailed  them,  took 
to  flight  after  several  had  been  killed,  leaving  their 
3^oung  ones  at  our  mercy.  We  caught  a  number  of 
other  birds,  and  obtained  a  considerable  supply  of 
figs,  plums,  and  nuts.  We  had,  also,  a  general  wash- 
ing of  clothes;  though,  to  be  sure,  some  of  our  party 
had  but  few  garments  which  required  cleansing.  But 
cleanliness  we  endeavoured  to  maintain;  which  tended 
much,  I  believe,  to  keep  us  in  health.  Hitherto  no 
one  had  suffered,  except  from  fatigue ;  and  that,  of 
course,  was  unavoidable. 

Our  provisions  being  carefully  packed,  and  other 
arrangements  made,  we  only  waited  for  a  fair  wind  to 
recommence  our  voyage.  We  had  an  abundance  of 
food.  Our  saucepan  afforded  us  the  means  of  obtaining 
hot  water,  and  of  boiling  what  required  boiling.  We 
had  bows  and  arrows  and  spears  to  obtain  more  food, 
hooks  and  lines  for  catching  fish,  and  two  bottles  of 
Schiedam  remaining ;  for  the  skipper,  though  very  fond 
of  it,  husbanded  it  carefully,  and  resisted  the  tempta- 
tion he  felt  to  drink  it  himself  ''We'll  keep  it,  in 
case  of  the  illness  of  any  of  the  party,"  lie  remarked. 


176  FAREWELL  TO  GROVE  ISLAND. 

The  wind  still  continued  blowing  down  the  river. 
It  had  the  effect  of  somewhat  lowering  the  water. 
This  we  did  not  desire ;  for  while  it  remained  at  its 
height  we  could  with  greater  ease  penetrate  into  the  in- 
terior, and  we  knew  that  even  long  after  it  had  subsided 
we  should  be  unable  to  travel  over  the  country  it  had 
left,  with  any  degree  of  safety.  Again  it  fell  calm. 
We  might  perhaps  have  urged  our  log  to  the  west- 
ward by  means  of  the  oars ;  but  our  progress  would 
necessarily  have  been  so  slow  that  it  would  not  have 
been  worth  while  to  make  the  attempt.  We  waited 
another  day,  Avhen,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  hands,  a 
light  breeze  from  the  eastward  sprang  up  soon  after 
we  had  breakfasted. 

"  On  board  now,  my  friends  !  "  exclaimed  the  skip- 
per ;  and  we  hastened  down  to  our  landing-place,  each 
of  us  loaded  with  as  many  packages  as  we  could 
carry.  As  before,  Quacko  clung  to  Kallolo's  shoul- 
ders, while  Ara  perched  on  the  head  of  Maco.  Ever}^- 
tliing  we  possessed  was  placed  in  the  centre  of  the 
log.  Once  more  Uncle  Paul  ascended  and  took  a 
glance  round  the  ])latform,  to  see  that  nothing  had 
been  left  behind.  "  And  now,  my  friends,"  he  said, 
''  before  we  push  off,  let  us  offer  up  a  prayer  for  pro- 
tection against  the  dangers,  foreseen  and  unforeseen, 
which  we  may  have  to  encounter."  Kneeling  do^ni 
and  taking  off  his  hat.  Uncle  Paul  prayed  in  a  firm, 
manly  tone,  all  joining  him  in  a  hearty  ''Amen." 


GOOD  REGULATIONS  ESTABLISHED.  177 

Rising  from  onr  knees,  the  oars  were  got  out,  the 
painter  cast  off,  and  we  paddled  clear  of  the  trees  :  then 
the  mast  was  stepped  and  set  up  with  shrouds  and 
stays,  wedges  being  driven  in  to  secure  it  more  firmly. 
The  sail  was  hoisted  and  rigged  out  with  a  boom,  and 
away  we  glided  up  the  stream.  Great  care  had  been 
taken,  in  trimming  the  log,  to  prevent  the  risk  of  its 
upsetting.  To  each  person  was  assigned  his  own 
proper  place,  from  which  he  was  on  no  account  to 
move,  unless  directed  by  Uncle  Paul  or  Captain  van 
Dunk.  Further  to  secure  the  log,  outriggers  had  been 
fitted  on  either  side  ;  which  gave  it  more  stability, 
without  impeding  its  progress.  All  had  been  done, 
indeed,  which  good  sense  and  forethought  could  su^"- 
gest  for  securing  a  safe  voyage  in  our,  at  the  best, 
unwieldy  craft.  The  extreme  buoyancy  of  the  cedar 
wood  made  it  far  more  suitable  for  our  purpose  than 
that  of  any  other  tree.  From  its  natural  shape,  also, 
which  was  flat  on  the  upper  side,  and  rounded  at  the 
bottom,  it  nearly  resembled  a  vessel ;  and  could  we 
have  hollowed  it  out,  it  might  have  been  formed  into 
a  craft  suitable  for  the  navigation  of  a  smooth  river. 
We  had,  however,  to  make  the  best  of  it  as  it  was. 
We  had,  I  should  have  said,  erected  a  small  shed 
in  the  after-part  for  Marian's  accommodation,  which 
served  as  her  sleeping-place  at  night,  and  sheltered 
her  somewhat  from  the  heat  of  the  sun  by  day. 

As  before,  we  sailed  on  night  and.  day.      The  craft 

(540)  -^  2 


178  RIVER  DANGERS. 

was  somewhat  less  buoyant  than  it  had  been  ;  but  as 
we  had  a  fresh  breeze,  we  made  good  progress,  and  in 
two  days  we  reached  the  point  where  we  had  turned 
back.  Marian  was  grateful  for  the  care  taken  of  her, 
and  was  in  fair  spirits  ;  and  even  our  poor  father  be- 
came more  cheerful  than  he  had  been.  Soon  after  we 
had  doubled  the  point,  the  wind  shifted  a  little  to  the 
northward,  blowing  directly  up  the  stream  we  had 
now  entered.  As  in  the  Orinoco,  the  trees,  with  the 
water  many  feet  above  their  roots,  bounded  our  pros- 
pect on  either  side. 

Day  after  day  we  sailed  on,  a  sharp  look-out  being 
kept  ahead  for  any  danger  w-hich  might  appear.  The 
chief  risk  was  from  submerged  trees  or  floating  logs  ; 
which  might  have  quickly  upset  her,  had  our  craft 
struck  one  of  them.  Happily  we  escaped  all  these 
dangers  ;  and  though  we  frequently  passed  very  near 
floating  logs,  we  did  not  receive  any  damage  from 
them. 

At  length  we  found  the  river  narrowing  consider- 
ably ;  but  still  no  dry  ground  had  appeared  on  either 
side, — which  showed  how  perfectly  level  must  be  the 
regrion  throusjh  which  we  were  sailing;'.  The  wind,  thouo^h 
it  continued  favourable,  had  fallen,  and  we  found  it 
necessary  to  keep  close  in  by  the  shore,  to  avoid 
the  current  which  w^e  could  no  longer  stem.  Still,  by 
keeping  our  paddles  moving,  we  went  ahead.  So 
narrow  had   the  stream  become,  that  we  thought  we 


SOMETHING  FEARFUL.  179 

must  be  approaching  its  source,  when  suddenly  we 
found  ourselves  entering  a  broad  lake-like  expanse, 
the  opposite  shore  being  scarcely  visible.  Captain 
van  Dunk  being  unwilling,  for  fear  of  being  caught  in 
a  gale,  to  stand  across  the  lake,  kept  still  coasting 
along,  in  the  hope,  he  said,  of  discovering  either  a 
piece  of  firm  ground  or  else  another  stream  up  which 
we  might  run. 

During  the  next  night  the  wind  was  very  light, 
and  we  made  slower  progress  than  we  had  hitherto 
done.  I  awoke  just  at  daylight,  and  was  sitting  with 
Kallolo  at  the  bow  of  our  strange  craft,  over  the  stem 
of  which  the  tack  was  made  fast.  He  was  employed 
in  looking  out  ahead.  Quacko,  his  constant  com- 
panion, was  in  his  arms,  and  I  was  amusing  myself 
by  talking  to  the  monkey.  ''  He  no  understand  your 
lingo,  Massa  Guy,"  observed  Kallolo.  "  Talkee  as  I 
do,  and  he  know  what  you  say."  On  this  he  uttered 
what  seemed  to  me  to  be  nothing  but  gibberish  ;  but 
Quacko,  in  great  delight,  replied  in  what  was  evi- 
dently an  imitation  of  his  master's  voice.  Suddenly 
I  saw  the  creature  gaze  into  the  water,  and  then, 
chattering  louder  than  ever,  it  threw  its  arms  around 
Kallolo' s  neck. 

''  He  see  something  !  "  exclaimed  the  native,  gazing 
on  the  smooth  surface. 

"  Oh  !   what  can  it  be  ?  "   I  exclaimed. 

The  native  did  not  reply.      At  that  instant,  a  long 


180  BOARDED  BY  AN  ANACONDA. 

shining  head  rose  above  the  surface,  and  came  on  with 
fearful  rapidity  towards  the.  log.  The  Indian  sat,  it 
seemed  to  me,  paralyzed  with  terror.  Beyond  the 
head  appeared  a  long  thin  body ;  and  I  now  saw  that 
it  was  an  enormous  snake — "  a  huge  anaconda."  To 
my  horror  the  creature,  reaching  the  log,  began  to 
climb  it,  exhibiting  the  folds  of  its  huge  body ; 
while  its  mouth  was  open  wide  enough  to  swallow 
either  of  us  at  a  gulp,  though  it  might  possibly  have 
been  contented  with  poor  Quacko,  had  Kallolo  been 
willing  to  sacrifice  his  favourite. 

''Fly,  Massa  Guy!  fly  1 "  he  shouted,  springing 
back  himself,  with  Quacko  in  his  arms.  Our  shouts 
aroused  our  sleeping  companions,  who  sprang  to  their 
feet,  Maco  being  the  first  to  seize  a  lance  and  come  to 
our  assistance.  The  bravest  man  might  well  have 
been  excused  for  not  facing  the  hideous  monster  un- 
armed. The  first  impulse  of  every  one  was  to  spring 
to  the  after-part  of  our  craft,  as  far  as  possible  from 
its  huge  fangs.  Our  cries,  and  the  row  of  bristling 
lances  presented  to  the  anaconda,  made  it  hesitate  to 
spring  on  us.  Indeed,  it  had  not  as  yet,  I  suspect, 
got  firm  liold  of  the  log  with  its  tail,  which  would 
have  enabled  it  to  do  so.  While  the  rest  of  us  were 
presenting  our  lances,  Maco  seized  a  bow  and  sent  an 
arrow  directly  down  the  creature's  throat !  With  a 
loud  hiss  of  rage  and  pain  it  drew  back,  when  we  all 
rushed  forward,   not  without   some  risk   of  upsetting 


ATTACKED      BY     AN      ANACOND; 


MACO  SHOOTS  OUR  ASSAILANT.  183 

the  log,  which  rocked  fearfully  from  side  to  side. 
Had  we  been  thrown  into  the  water,  the  creature 
would  have  had  us  at  its  mercy ;  though,  with  an 
arrow  in  its  mouth,  it  would  not  have  been  able  to 
swallow  even  Quack o.  A  second  arrow,  sent  by 
Maco's  unerring  bow,  made  it  uncoil  its  huge  body 
and  slip  off  into  the  water,  when,  to  our  infinite  satis- 
faction, it  disappeared  beneath  the  surface.  Poor 
Quacko  still  trembled  all  over;  for  his  instinct  told 
him  how  quickly  the  anaconda  would  have  gobbled 
him  up.  We  speedily  recovered  our  equanimity.  ''  I 
wish  he  would  come  on  again,"  cried  our  undaunted 
skipper.  "If  he  do,  we  shall  quickly  have  his  head 
off,  and  cook  some  slices  of  his  body  for  dinner."  I 
don't  think  he  exactly  meant  what  he  said  ;  at  all 
events,  I  must  have  been  excessively  hungry  before  I 
could  have  eaten  any  of  the  hideous  creature,  though 
its  flesh  might  possibly  not  be  poisonous.  I  believe,  in- 
deed, that  even  the  natives,  who  eat  nearly  everything, 
would  not  have  been  inclined  to  feed  on  its  rank  flesh. 
As  we  had  no  wish  to  remain  in  the  neighbourhood, 
we  got  out  the  oars  and  rowed  lustily  forward  ;  and  a 
fresh  breeze  springing  up  at  about  noon,  we  ran  on  at 
a  good  rate,  though  not  even  at  the  fastest  did  we 
ever  make  more  than  four  knots  an  hour.  Our  aver- 
age was  perhaps  about  two,  which  gave  twenty-four 
miles  in  the  day.  This,  considering  all  things,  was 
not  bad  progress. 


184  A  BRIGHT  LOOK-OUT  KEPT. 

We  sailed  on  till  nightfall,  in  vain  looking  for  a 
landing-place,  while  between  the  trees  we  could  dis- 
tinguish nothing  but  water  extending  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach.  As  the  wind  was  light,  we  did  not  at- 
tempt to  bring  up,  but  continued  on  our  course ;  a 
crescent  moon  enabling  us  to  see  our  way  sufficiently 
to  avoid  any  dangers  ahead.  Uncle  Paul  and  Captain 
van  Dunk  took  it  in  turn  to  act  as  officer  of  the 
watch.  My  father  and  Marian  were  rated  as  pas- 
sengers, and  the  rest  of  us  were  divided  into  two 
watches. 

It  may  be  supposed,  after  the  visit  of  the  anaconda, 
that  we  kept  a  bright  look-out,  lest  any  monster  of  the 
same  species  might  take  it  in  his  head  to  come  on 
board  ;  and  Kallolo  and  Maco  kept  their  bows  ready 
to  send  an  arrow  into  the  first  pair  of  open  jaws 
which  appeared  above  the  surface.  The  night,  how- 
ever, passed  away  without  the  appearance  of  any 
unwelcome  visitor.  The  encounter  we  had  had  on  the 
previous  day  seemed,  indeed,  like  a  horrible  dream, 
and  we  could  scarcely  persuade  ourselves  of  its  reality. 
I  was  very  glad  when  daylight  returned,  and  a  fresh 
breeze  and  bright  sun  stirred  up  our  spirits. 

We  had  not  again  attempted  to  light  a  fire  on 
board ;  indeed,  without  stopping  among  the  trees  we 
could  not  have  obtained  fuel.  We  were  therefore  com- 
pelled to  subsist  on  the  dried  meat  and  fish  and  the 
various  fruits  and  nuts  we  had  brought  with  us ;   cold 


MAGNIFICENT  TREES.  185 

water  being  our  sole  beverage.  Marian  subsisted 
almost  entirely  on  fruit  and  nuts,  and  for  her  sake 
especially  I  was  anxious  to  reach  dry  ground,  where 
we  could  cook  some  more  wholesome  provisions  for 
her. 

We  had  now,  by  our  calculations,  got  a  considerable 
way  from  the  Orinoco,  but  had  not  yet  found  the  dry 
ground  of  which  we  were  in  search  ;  nor  had  as  yet 
any  mountain  ranges  appeared  over  the  tops  of  the 
lofty  trees  surrounding  us. 

The  noonday  sun  was  shining  with  an  intense 
splendour  on  the  calm  expanse  of  water  over  which 
we  glided,  when  we  saw  before  us  an  opening  between 
the  trees,  through  which  we  concluded  the  upper 
waters  of  the  river  we  had  been  navigating  flowed. 
The  log  was  steered  for  it.  It  was  of  considerable 
breadth,  though  narrowed  by  the  far- extending 
branches  of  the  trees  hanging  over  it,  the  lower  por- 
tions of  the  stems  being  concealed  by  the  water. 

We  sailed  on :  Captain  van  Dunk  thought  we 
should,  before  long,  reach  a  part  with  banks  consider- 
ably above  the  water.  On  either  side  rose  magnificent 
trees,  some  to  the  height  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet.  Among  the  most  remarkable  were  the  white- 
stemmed  cecropia;  the  cow-tree,  of  still  loftier  growth ; 
and  the  india-rubber  tree,  with  its  smooth  gray  bark, 
tall  erect  trunk,  and  thick  glossy  leaves  :  while  in- 
termixed with    them   appeared  the  assai  palm,   with 


186  GORGEOUS  FOLIAGE. 

its  slender  stem,  its  graceful  head,  and  its  delicate 
green  plumes  ;  and  the  mirite,  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful of  the  palm  tribe,  having  abundant  clusters  of 
glossy  fruit,  and  enormous  spreading,  fan-like  leaves, 
cut  into  ribbons.  Palms  of  various  species  predomi- 
nated. The  underwood  was  not  very  dense  ;  but  the 
sepos  wove  their  tracery  among  the  upper  branches  ; 
some  running  round  and  round  the  trees,  and  holding 
them  in  a  close  embrace  ;  others  hanging  from  branch 
to  branch  in  rich  festoons,  or  dropping  in  long  lines  to 
the  ground.  Here,  too,  appeared  numberless  parasitic 
plants,  with  most  beautiful  and  gorgeous  flowers. 
Among  the  most  lovely  flowers  w^as  one  of  a  yellow 
tint,  apparently  suspended  between  the  stems  of  two 
trees,  shining  in  the  gloom  as  if  its  petals  were  of 
gold.  In  reality,  as  we  afterwards  discovered,  it 
grows  at  the  end  of  a  stalk,  a  yard  and  a  half  long, 
springing  from  a  cluster  of  thick  leaves  on  the  bark  of 
a  tree.  Others  had  white  and  spotted  blossoms  ;  and 
still  more  magnificent  than  all  was  one  of  a  brilliant 
purple  colour,  emitting  a  delicious  odour.  Here,  too, 
we  saw  plants  hanging  in  mid-air,  like  the  crowns  of 
huge  pine-apples ;  and  large  climbing  arums,  with 
their  dark  green  and  arrow-head-shaped  leaves,  form- 
ing fantastic  and  graceful  ornaments  amid  the  foliage  ; 
while  huge-leaved  ferns  and  other  parasites  clung  to 
the  stems  up  to  the  very  highest  branches.  These, 
again,    were   covered   by   creeping   plants  ;    and   thus 


FRUIT-BEARING   TREES.  187 

literally  parasites  grew  on  parasites ;  and  on  these 
parasites,  again,  leaves  of  every  form  were  also  seen 
— some  beautifully  divided,  and  others  of  vast  size 
and  fan-like  shape,  like  those  of  the  cecropias  ;  and 
numerous  others  of  intermediate  forms  added  to  the 
countless  variety. 

Many  of  the  trees  bore  fruit.  Among  the  most 
tempting  was  that  of  the  maraja,  growing  in  large 
bunches.  Most  of  the  palms  also  had  fruit ;  some  like 
the  cocoa-nut,  others  like  small  berries.  Then  there 
was  the  palmetto,  with  its  tender  succulent  bud  on  the 
summit  of  the  stem,  used  as  a  vegetable  with  meat. 
Others  had  bunches  of  bright  chestnut-brown  fruit 
hanojino^  from  between  the  leaves  which  form  the  crown, 
each  bunch  about  a  foot  in  length,  massive  and  com- 
pact, like  a  large  cluster  of  Hamburg  grapes.  Then 
there  was  another  palm,  bearing  a  greenish  fruit  not 
unlike  the  olive  in  appearance,  which  hung  in  large 
pendent  bunches  just  below  the  leaves.  There  were 
bean-shaped  pods,  too,  from  one  foot  to  three  feet  in 
length.  The  cuja-tree,  which  I  have  already  men- 
tioned, is  of  immense  size.  Its  fruit  is  very  much  like 
that  of  a  gourd  of  spherical  form,  with  a  light-green 
shining  surface,  growing  from  the  size  of  an  orange  to 
that  of  the  laro^est  melon.  It  is  filled  with  a  soft 
white  pulp,  easily  removed  when  the  fruit  is  cut  in 
halves.  The  Indians,  I  forgot  to  say,  formed  a  num- 
ber of  cups  and  basins  for  us  from  the  rind  of  this 


188  ABUNDANCE  OF  ANIMAL  LIFE. 

fruit.  Fioni  them  also  we  had  manufactured  the  life- 
buoys which  I  have  described. 

As  we  sailed  along,  numerous  birds  of  the  most 
gorgeous  plumage  were  seen  either  resting  on  the 
boughs  or  flying  overhead  across  the  stream.  Among 
them  were  several  species  of  trogons  and  little  bristle- 
tailed  manakins.  We  saw  also  the  curious  black 
umbrella  bird  ;  which  is  so  called  from  having  a  hood 
like  an  umbrella  spread  over  its  head.  Flocks  of 
paroquets  were  seen,  and  bright-blue  chatterers  ;  and 
now  and  then  a  lovely  pompadour,  having  delicate 
white  wings  and  claret-coloured  plumage.  Monkeys 
of  various  sorts  were  scrambling  among  the  boughs, 
coming  out  to  look  at  us,  and  chattering  loudly  as  if 
to  inquire  why  we  had  come  into  their  domains.  Now 
and  then  we  caught  sight  of  a  sloth  rolled  up  on  a 
branch  of  an  imbauba  tree,  on  the  leaves  of  which  the 
creature  feeds  ;  while  butterflies  of  most  brilliant  hues 
and  enormous  dras^on-flies  were  flittino^  about  in  the 
sunshine. 

On  and  on  we  sailed,  the  passage  between  the  trees 
now  becoming  narrower  every  mile  we  progressed,  till 
at  length  they  appeared  almost  to  close  us  in,  the 
branches  completely  interlacing  overhead.  Still,  hav- 
ing gone  so  far.  Captain  van  Dunk  was  unwilling  to 
turn  back,  unless  certain  that  there  was  no  opening 
into  some  wider  stream  ;  but,  from  the  depth  of  the 
v/ater  and  the  absence  of  any  strong  current,  he  fully 


A  NARROW  CHANNEL.  189 

believed  we  should  meet  with  one.  At  leno-th  the 
branches  extended  so  far  across  the  passage  that  we  were 
compelled  to  unstep  the  mast  in  order  to  pass  under  them. 
The  sudden  change  from  the  bright  glare  of  the  open 
water  to  the  solemn  gloom  of  the  forest  was  very 
remarkable.  We  had  now  to  paddle  slowly.  We 
were  frequently  able  to  press  our  oars  against  the 
trunks  of  the  trees,  and  thus  to  shove  the  log  ahead. 
Though  accustomed  to  tropical  scenery,  nothing  we 
had  before  witnessed  equalled  the  rich  luxuriance  of 
the  vegetation — the  numberless  strange  trees,  and 
hanging  plants,  and  creepers,  and  beautiful  flowers  of 
every  hue,  aflR)rding  abundance  of  interest  as  we  pro- 
ceeded. Marian  was  delighted,  and  was  continually 
crying  out,  ''  Oh,  what  a  lovely  flower  ! — what  a  grace- 
ful tree  ! — see  that  magnificent  bird  ! — oh,  what  a 
gorgeous  butterfly  !"  till  she  had  exhausted  her  vocab- 
ulary of  suitable  epithets. 

At  length  we  reached  a  spot  wdiere  the  far-ex- 
tending buttressed  roots  of  an  enormous  tree  com- 
pletely impeded  our  progress ;  and  steering  up  to  it, 
we  made  our  log  fast,  and  stepped,  I  cannot  say  on 
shore,  but  on  the  roots  of  the  tree.  We  had  little 
doubt,  indeed,  that  could  we  have  penetrated  through 
the  mass  of  fohage,  we  should  soon  have  reached  dry 
ground.  It  was  now  time  for  our  evening  meal,  and 
therefore,  before  proceeding  further,  we  sat  down  to 
partake  of  it.      The  captain  intended,  if  possible,  after- 


190  SPECTATORS  AT  OUR  REPAST. 

wards  to  try  to  work  the  log  through  by  towing,  or 
else  to  build  a  small  raft,  and,  with  one  or  two  com- 
panions, explore  the  passage  still  further  on. 

We  had  a  number  of  spectators  at  our  repast ;  for  no 
sooner  were  we  quietly  seated,  than  troops  of  monkeys, 
attracted  by  the  strange  spectacle  we  presented — to 
their  eyes,  at  all  events  —  came  from  every  side 
through  the  forest,  swinoinoj  from  bough  to  bouo-h,  or 
scrambling  along  the  sepos,  to  have  a  look  at  us. 
There  they  sat  above  our  heads,  chattering  away  as  if 
talking  of  us  and  making  their  observations.  Quacko 
looked  up,  and  answered  them  in  their  own  language  ; 
at  which  they  seemed  very  much  surprised.  Some 
were  induced,  by  what  he  said,  I  suppose,  to  come 
down  much  closer ;  and  had  we  been  so  inclined,  we 
might  have  shot  several  with  our  arrows.  That,  how- 
ever, would  have  been  a  treacherous  return  for  the 
confidence  they  showed  ;  and  we  did  not,  happily  for 
them,  require  food.  I  very  much  doubt,  had  such 
been  the  case,  that  we  should  have  allowed  them  to 
escape. 

Kallolo  and  Maco,  observing  that  we  had  no  fruit 
remaining,  volunteered  to  make  their  way  into  the 
forest,  to  try  to  find  some.  Uncle  Paul,  for  Marian's 
sake,  accepted  their  offer.  It  required  great  agility 
and  practical  experience  for  any  one  to  scramble  among 
the  interlacing  boughs  and  network  of  sepos,  without 
the  almost  certainty  of  tumbling  into  the  water.    They 


OUR  I^^DIANS  SEARCH  FOR  FRUIT.  191 

went  off  armed  with  their  spears,  and  their  long  knives 
stuck  in  their  girdles,  saying  that  they  would  soon 
make  their  appearance  again.  We  meantime,  having 
finished  the  more  substantial  part  of  our  meal,  scrambled 
up  to  the  huge  roots  of  the  tree  where  we  had  first 
landed,  and  sat  down  to  await  their  return. 

Uncle  Paul,  Captain  van  Dunk,  and  Peter  talked 
over  their  plans.  They  did  not  conceal  from  them- 
selves the  difficulties  of  their  project ;  but  still,  like 
brave  men,  they  resolved  to  accomplish  it.  Though 
their  saw  was  too  small  to  cut  out  the  planks  of  the 
proposed  vessel,  they  might  obtain  them  by  splitting 
up  trees  with  wedges,  and  then  smoothing  them  down 
with  the  axe.  Though  they  had  no  nails,  the  planks 
might  be  secured  to  the  ribs  with  tree  nails  or  wooden 
pegs.  '' Ya,  ya  !"  exclaimed  the  brave  skipper  for  the 
hundredth  time  ;  "  where  there's  a  will  there's  a  way. 
We  will  do  it,  we  will  do  it ;  never  fear."  His  confi- 
dence raised  all  our  spirits. 

The  day  drew  on,  but  the  two  natives  did  not 
appear,  and  we  began  to  fear  that  they  must  have-  met 
with  some  accident,  or  lost  their  way.  One  thing  was 
certain,  we  should  have  to  spend  another  night  on  our 
log,  instead  of,  as  we  had  hoped,  on  dry  ground  under 
the  shelter  of  leafy  huts,  which  we  had  proposed 
building.  My  father's  great  wish,  for  Marian's  sake, 
was  to  return  as  soon  as  possible  to  civilized  parts. 
He  said  something:  to  that  effect. 


192  A  MYSTERIOUS  LIGHT  SEEN. 

"  Oh,  don't  think  about  me,  papa,"  exclaimed 
Marian  ;  ''I  really  enjoy  this  sort  of  life  ;  only  I  hope 
that  we  shall  not  meet  with  another  anaconda,  or  boa, 
or  any  of  those  venomous  serpents  which  are  said  to 
frequent  this  region." 

''  I  trust  indeed  that  we  shall  not,  my  child,"  said 
our  father  ;  ''  but  there  are  other  dangers  I  fear  for 
you,  though  I  pra}-  that  you  may  be  preserved  from 
them  also." 

'*  We  will  not  talk  of  dangers  nor  of  difficulties,"  ob- 
served Uncle  Paul ;  "  the  great  thing  is  to  face  them 
bravely  when  they  come." 

My  father  remarked  that  it  was  time  to  return  to 
our  log,  and  to  make  arrangements  for  passing  the 
night  while  there  was  daylight,  as  we  should  find  the 
darkness  much  greater  under  the  shelter  of  the  trees 
than  we  had  found  it  in  the  open  part  of  the  river. 

I  had  just  got  on  my  feet  and  was  looking  up  the 
stream,  when  I  observed  a  bright  light  burst  forth 
from  among  the  trees  at  a  considerable  distance.  I 
called  the  attention  of  Uncle  Paul  to  it,  who  was  sitting 
near  me.  He  also  got  up  and  looked  in  the  direction 
to  which  I  pointed. 

"  It  must  be  produced  by  a  fire,"  he  observed.  *'  It 
is  either  just  kindled  on  the  branches  of  some  high 
tree  or  else  on  ground  rising  considerably  above  the 
stream.  Can  Kallolo  and  Maco  have  got  there  and 
kindled  it  as  a  signal  to  us  ?      For  my  part,  I  confess  I 


A     MYSTERIOUS     LIGHT. 


WHO  HAS  KINDLED  THE  FIRE  ?  195 

cannot  make  it  out  ?  "  The  rest  of  the  party  now  got 
up  and  looked  in  the  direction  in  which  we  were 
gazing.      They  were  greatly  puzzled. 

"  Can  the  fire  have  been  lighted  by  natives  ? " 
asked  Arthur.  "  Some  of  the  tribes  which  inhabit  these 
regions  are  accustomed  to  form  their  dwellings  among 
the  trees,  I  have  heard  ;  if  so,  we  must  be  on  our 
a'uard.  It  will  be  better,  at  all  events,  to  avoid  them  ; 
for  though  it  is  possible  they  may  prove  friendly,  they 
may  resent  the  intrusion  of  strangers  into  their  terri- 
tory, and  attack  us." 

Uncle  Paul  agreed  with  Arthur  that  in  all  proba- 
bility the  fire  ^vas  lighted  by  natives.  "  They  can- 
not, however,  as  yet  have  seen  us, '  he  remarked, 
*'  and  it  might  be  wiser  to  retreat  while  we  have 
time,  and  to  try  to  find  another  passage." 

''  I  cannot  agree  with  you  there,"  observed  Captain 
van  Dunk.  "  We  have  no  reason  to  fear  the  natives, 
who  are  poor,  miserable  creatures  ;  and  as  they  believe 
that  white  men  never  go  without  fire-arms,  they  will 
not  venture  to  attack  us." 

"  But,  captain,  if  they  find  that  we  have  no  fire- 
arms, they  will  know  that  we  are  at  their  mercy, 
and  may  easily  overwhelm  us  by  numbers,"  observed 
Arthur. 

''  But  we  have  our  spears,  bows,  and  arrows,  and  we 
shall  cut  some  stout  cudgels,  with  which  we  could 
easily  drive  away  such  miserable  savages  as  they  are." 


196  OUR  FRIENDS  RETURN  WITH  FRUIT. 

*'  Suppose  they  possess  the  deadly  blow-pipe,  with 
its  little  poisoned  darts,  they  may  attack  us  without 
giving  us  a  chance  of  reaching  them,"  said  Arthur. 

"  I  am  afraid  that  Arthur  is  right,"  remarked  Uncle 
Paul.  ''It  would  be  folly  to  expose  ourselves  to  danger 
if  it  can  be  avoided." 

The  discussion  was  still  going  on  when  we  caught 
sight  of  two  figures  approaching  through  the  fast  in- 
creasing gloom.  Could  they  be  the  savages  of  whom 
we  were  talking  ?  I  confess  that  I  felt  very  uncom- 
fortable,— not  so  much  for  myself  as  for  Marian  and  my 
father ;  and  for  the  first  time  since  w^e  reached  the 
Orinoco  I  began  to  wish  that  we  were  safe  among 
civilized  people.  I  suspect  that  my  companions  shared 
my  fears.  No  one  spoke.  At  length  our  anxiety  was 
set  at  rest  by  hearing  the  voices  of  Kallolo  and  Maco. 
They  soon  joined  us,  bringing  a  number  of  ripe  purple 
plums,  and  some  bunches  of  the  delicious  maraja,  the 
fruit  of  several  species  of  palms,  which  I  may  as  well 
here  say  afforded  an  acceptable  supper  to  all  the 
party.    We  eagerly  asked  if  they  had  seen  any  Indians. 

"  We  have,"  answered  Kallolo  ;  "  but  they  are  a  long 
way  off*,  and  as  they  will  not  wander  from  their  en- 
campment during  the  night,  we  may,  if  necessary,  avoid 
them.  We  will,  however,  first  learn  if  they  are  friends  or 
foes.  If  they  are  friends,  they  may  assist  us  with  their 
canoes  in  getting  through  the  passage  ;  but  if  they  are 
foes,  we  must  try  to  steal  by  them  without  being  seen." 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  LOG  STOPPED.  197 

We  had  now  all  collected  on  the  log,  and  Marian 
having  retired  to  her  cabin,  we  sat  down  to  discuss  the 
best  plan  of  proceeding. 

"  I  see  we  must  do  what  I  before  proposed,"  said 
the  skipper.  "  We  will  build  a  small  raft,  and  Peter 
and  I,  with  Maco  and  Sambo,  will  endeavour  to  push 
through  the  passage  while  you  all  remain  concealed 
from  the  natives  behind  these  thick  trees.  Should  we 
get  through,  I  will  send  Maco  back  to  guide  you ;  and 
you  must  build  two  other  small  rafts,  which  will  be 
sufficient  to  carry  you." 

Uncle  Paul  did  not  at  first  seem  inclined  to  agree 
with  the  skipper.  He  was  unwilling  that  our  party 
should  separate;  for,  should  the  natives  discover  us,  and 
prove  hostile,  they  were  more  likely  to  attack  a  small 
number  than  a  large  one.  At  the  same  time,  he  ac- 
knowledged that  by  remaining  on  the  log  we  might  be 
able  to  retreat  on  it  down  the  stream  should  we  be 
attacked,  and,  at  all  events,  still  have  some  chance  of 
saving  our  lives. 

The  skipper  had  at  first  proposed  forming  the  raft 
immediately,  and  embarking  on  it  during  the  night,  so 
as  to  pass  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Indian  encamp- 
ment before  daylight;  but  so  great  was  the  darkness  in 
the  confined  spot  where  we  were,  that  we  soon  found  it 
would  be  impossible  to  commence  our  building  opera- 
tions till  the  return  of  day,  and  he  was  therefore  com- 
pelled to  put  off"  his  expedition  till  the  next  night. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

HOWLING  MONKEYS — A  BEAUTIFUL  SCENE — THE  CUKUPIRA — WE  MA^E  A  RAFT 
—  CAPTAIN  VAN  DUNK  AND  HIS  COMPANIONS  DEPART  ON  IT — VISIT  THE 
INDIAN  ENCAMPMENT — WHITE  NAKARI — ARRIVAL  OF  MACO — START  ON  A 
LONG   SWIM. 

'E  kept  a  vigilant  watch  during  the  night, 
with  the  oars  ready  to  shove  off,  should  by 
chance  any  of  the  Indians  approach  us. 
Kallolo  took  post  on  the  roots  of  the  tree 
I  have  before  described,  whence  we  had  at 
first  seen  the  light  which  had  given  us  an  intimation 
of  the  neighbourhood  of  the  savages,  that  he  might 
give  us  timely  warning  should  any  of  them  quit  their 
encampment  and  come  towards  us.  Still  there  was  but 
little  probability  of  being  disturbed  during  the  hours 
of  darkness. 

Scarcely  had  the  sun  sunk  behind  the  trees  when 
a  deep  gloom  pervaded  the  surrounding  atmosphere; 
and  from  a  distance  came  the  most  fearful  bowlings, 
echoing  through  the  forest. 

"  Oh,  surely  the  savages  are  upon  us,"  I  could  not 
help  exclaiming. 

"  No,  Massa  Guy,  no  fear  of  that,"  answered  Kallolo. 


AN  EVENING  CONCERT.  199 

"  Dey  only  howling  monkeys,  which  are  shouting  to 
each  oder  from  de  top  branches  of  de  trees,  asking 
each  oder  how  dem  are  dis  fine  ebening." 

After  this  assurance,  the  other  noises  which  came 
out  of  the  forest  did  not  create  so  much  feelino:  of 
alarm.  I  knew  they  were  only  the  cries  of  animals 
or  birds  or  insects,  all  of  which  were  adding  their 
voices  to  the  wild,  and  certainly  not  harmonious,  con- 
cert. Flocks  of  parrots  and  blue  macaws  flew  over- 
head, the  different  kinds  of  cawing  and  screaming  of 
the  various  species  making  a  terrible  discord.  Then 
arose  the  strangely  sounding  call  of  the  cicada,  or 
cricket,  one  of  the  largest  kind,  perched  high  on  the 
trees,  setting  up  a  most  piercing  chirp.  It  began 
with  the  usual  harsh  jarring  tone  of  its  tribe,  rapidly 
becoming  shriller,  until  it  ended  in  a  long  and  loud 
whistling  note.  Comparatively  small  as  are  these 
wonderful  performers,  their  voices  made  a  considerable 
item  in  the  evening  concert.  Before  they  had  ceased, 
the  tree-frogs  chimed  in  with  their  "  Quack,  quack  ! 
drum,  drum  !  hoo,  hoo  !  "  accompanied  by  melancholy 
night-jars,  which  for  long  kept  up  their  monotonous 
cries. 

While  we  were  seated,  the  whole  air  above  our 
heads  suddenly  became  bright  and  glaring  with  lights 
of  various  hues ;  now  darting  here,  now  there ;  now 
for  a  moment  obscured  only  to  burst  forth  again  with 
greater  brilliancy.      These  beautiful  lights  were  caused 


200  FIRE-FLIES  AND  FIRE-BEETLES. 

by  fire-flies  and  fire-beetles.  The  lights  of  the  former 
were  red,  and  bright  as  those  of  the  brightest  candle  ; 
and  being  alternately  emitted  and  concealed,  each  of 
the  tiny  flames  performing  its  own  part  in  the  mazy 
dance,  they  produced  a  singularly  beautiful  spectacle. 
The  fire-flies,  however,  disappeared  shortly  afterwards, 
when  a  number  of  large  beetles,  called  elaters,  took 
their  place,  displaying  both  red  and  green  lights. 
The  red  glare,  like  that  of  a  lamp,  alternately  flashed 
and  vanished,  as  the  insect  turned  its  body  in  flight ; 
and  now  and  then  a  green  light  was  displa3^ed. 
The  mingling  of  the  two  colours,  red  and  gi-een,  in 
the  evolutions  of  flight  totally  surpasses  my  power  of 
description.  We  caught  several,  and  had  we  possessed 
an  uncoloured  glass  bottle  we  might  have  made  a  lan- 
tern which  would  have  afforded  us  sufficient  light  to 
work  by.  Even  through  the  thick  glass  of  a  schiedam 
bottle  a  strong  light  was  emitted,  but  scarcely  sufficient 
for  our  purpose,  though  it  enabled  us  to  see  our  way 
about  the  log. 

After  some  time  all  was  silent,  then  suddenly  came  a 
loud  yell,  or  scream,  uttered  probably  by  some  defenceless 
fruit-eating  animal  which  had  been  pounced  upon  by 
a  tiger-cat  or  the  stealthy  boa-constrictor.  It  required 
the  exercise  of  a  considerable  amount  of  nerve  to  keep 
up  our  spirits  during  those  dark  hours  of  the  night. 
Now  and  then  there  came  also  a  crash,  resounding  far 
through  the  wilderness,  as  some  huge  bough,  or  perhaps 


A  FEARFUL  SOU^'D.  201 

an  entire  tree,  its  roots  loosened  by  the  flood,  fell  into 
the  water,  striking  the  neighboui-ing  trees  with  its 
branches  in  its  descent.  Most  of  these  sounds,  how- 
ever, we  could  account  for.  At  length,  as  we  all  lay 
awake,  a  noise  reached  our  ears  which  made  several  of 
our  party  start  up.  I  can  describe  it  only  as  like  the 
clang  of  an  iron  bar  struck  against  a  hard  hollow  tree, 
followed  by  a  piercing  cry.  As  it  was  not  repeated, 
the  dead  silence  which  followed  tended  to  heighten 
the  unpleasant  impression  it  had  produced. 

"  What  can  it  be  ?  "  I  asked  Kallolo,  who  had  just 
returned  on  board  and  was  sitting  by  me. 

"Dat,  Massa  Guy?  Dat  de  voice  of  de  curupira. 
He  bery  bad  man,  with  long  shaggy  hair,  and  live  in 
de  trees.  He  neber  let  any  one  see  him,  but  walk 
about  all  niofht,  doino^  all  the  harm  he  can.  Often  he 
comes  down  to  de  plantations  to  steal  de  mandioca, 
and  carry  off  young  children  when  he  can.  Him  got 
bright  red  face,  and  feet  like  de  stag." 

"  But  if  no  one  has  seen  him,  how  can  you  tell  that 
he  has  got  red  face,  cloven  feet,  and  shaggy  hair?  "  I 
asked. 

"  Ah,  Massa  Guy,  that  is  more  than  I  know ;  but 
my  fader  tell  me  so,  his  fader  tell  him, — so  I  suppose 
some  one  saw  him  long,  long  ago." 

"  I  onty  hope,  then,  that  he  will  not  come  and  pay 
us  a  visit,"  I  remarked. 

"  I  hope  not,  massa,"  said  Kallolo,  shuddering  and 


202  BEAUTY  OF  THE  MORNING. 

looking  round  into  the  darkness  as  if  he  just  then 
thought  that  such  a  thing  was  by  no  means  improbable. 

Notwithstanding  the  dangerous  position  in  which 
we  were  placed,  I  at  length  dropped  off  to  sleep.  When 
I  awoke,  the  day  was  beginning  to  dawn ;  the  birds 
were  again  astir  ;  the  cicadse  had  commenced  their 
music  ;  flocks  of  parrots  and  macaws,  and  other  winged 
inhabitants  of  the  forest,  were  passing  overhead  in 
countless  numbers,  seeking  their  morning  repast  ;  beau- 
tiful long-tailed  and  gilded  moths,  like  butterflies,  were 
flying  over  the  tree-tops  ;  the  sky  had  assumed  the 
loveliest  azure  colour,  across  which  were  drawn  streaks 
of  thin  white  clouds  with  Nature's  most  delicate  touch. 
The  varied  forms  of  the  trees,  imperceptible  during  the 
gloom  of  night,  now  appeared,  the  smaller  foliage  con- 
trasting with  the  large,  glossy  leaves  of  the  taller  trees, 
and  the  feathery,  fan-shaped  fronds  of  the  palms. 

The  air,  for  a  short  time,  felt  cool  and  refreshing  ; 
but  almost  before  the  sun  had  gilded  the  topmost 
boughs  of  the  trees,  the  heat  began  to  increase  and  give 
indication  of  a  sultry  day.  All  hands  were  speedily  on 
foot.  The  skipper  led  the  way  on  to  the  roots  of  the 
trees  (for  I  must  not  say,  on  to  the  shore),  followed  by 
Peter  and  the  rest  of  his  crew,  and  began  to  hew 
away  at  the  smaller  palms  and  other  trees  which  they 
thought  would  serve  to  form  the  proposed  raft.  Tree 
after  tree  was  cut  down  ;  but  the  felling  of  each  oc- 
cupied   some   time.      Arthur,    Tim,   and   I    assisted   in 


A  RAFT  CONSTRUCTED.  203 

towing  them  out  to  the  log,  where  we  arranged  them 
alongside  each  other,  ready  to  receive  the  cross-pieces 
by  which  the  whole  were  to  be  bound  together.  Trees 
somewhat  lighter,  cut  into  lengths,  were  selected  for 
the  latter  purpose.  We  looked  out  for  the  Indian  en- 
campment, but  from  no  point  we  could  reach  was  it 
visible  ;  and  we  concluded,  therefore,  that  we  were  not 
likely  to  be  seen  by  any  of  the  natives.  Although  a 
description  of  the  operations  we  were  employed  in  can 
be  given  in  a  few  words,  they  occupied  the  whole  day. 
After  the  logs  had  been  cut  we  had  to  collect  a  quantity 
of  the  more  flexible  vines  with  which  to  bind  them 
together ;  and  this  also  took  us  a  good  deal  of  time. 
Thus,  though  we  got  over  our  meals  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible, it  was  again  night  before  the  raft  was  completed. 
Some  long  poles  for  propelling  it  had  also  been  cut  and 
shaped. 

The  skipper  contemplated  the  work  with  evident 
satisfaction.  ''There,  my  friends,"  he  said,  ''this  will 
carry  more  than  half  of  our  pai-ty  ;  and  if  half  of  you 
will  consent  to  embark,  I  will  stop  and  assist  in  mak- 
ing another  like  it,  so  that  we  may  all  proceed  together. 
I  don't  like  the  thought  of  leaving  you  behind." 

Uncle  Paul  and  my  father,  how^ever,  firmly  declined 
the  skipper's  offer.  "  I  would  much  rather  that  you 
should  go  forward.  Captain  van  Dunk,  and  explore  the 
way  ;  and  should  you  be  successful  in  finding  an  eligible 
spot  for  camping  on  and  building  a  vessel,  you  could 


204  THE  SKIPPER  S  DEPARTURE. 

send  back  for  us,  and  we  would  then  construct  one  or 
more  rafts  for  the  voyage.  The  dangers  of  the  expedi- 
tion are  too  great  for  Marian  and  her  father  to  en- 
counter, unless  with  a  definite  object  in  view." 

"Well,  well/'  answered  the  captain,  "I  trust  that 
we  shall  meet  again  ere  long.  Now,  my  friends,  we 
must  go  on  board,  and  shove  off" 

When  this  was  said  we  were  seated  at  supper.  As 
soon  as  it  was  over,  the  various  articles  which  the 
skipper  intended  to  take  with  him  were  placed  on 
board  the  raft.  Shaking  us  all  by  the  hand,  he 
and  his  crew  stepped  on  to  it,  each  armed  with  a 
long  pole,  which  assisted  to  steady  them  and  at  the 
same  time  to  push  on  the  raft.  We  did  not  cheer,  as 
we  might  have  done  under  other  circumstances,  for 
fear  that  our  voices  should  reach  the  Indians,  at 
no  great  distance,  so  in  perfect  silence  our  friends 
shoved  off  into  the  middle  of  the  stream.  Darkness 
having  come  on,  they  were  speedily  lost  to  sight. 

I  had  from  the  first  contemplated  the  possibility  of 
making  an  excursion  through  the  forest,  in  order  to  as- 
certain, if  possible,  the  exact  position  of  the  Indian 
encampment.  There  could  be  little  doubt  that  it  was 
constructed  as  ours  had  been  at  the  grove  on  the 
Orinoco, — high  up  on  the  branches  of  some  enormous 
tree,  or  on  a  platform  supported  by  the  stems  of 
several  trees  ;  which  is  the  way,  Kallolo  told  me,  the 
Indians  inhabitins^  the  reoion  nearer  the  mouth  of  the 


HAZARDOUS  EXPEDITION.  205 

river  form  their  habitations.  Arthur  and  I  had  been 
talking  the  matter  over,  and  we  proposed  it  to  Kallolo. 
He  said  that  he  was  quite  ready  to  go  alone,  but 
that  if  we  wished  to  accompany  him  he  should  have 
no  objection.  Could  we  have  secured  a  band  of  elaters 
to  go  before  us,  we  might,  without  difficulty,  have 
found  our  way  ;  but  as  neither  they  nor  the  fire-flies 
could  be  depended  on,  we  should  have  to  make  the  ex- 
pedition in  darkness.  There  was,  however,  a  bright 
moon  in  the  sky,  which,  provided  we  kept  along  the 
edge  of  the  river,  would  give  us  sufficient  light.  The 
only  creatures  we  had  to  fear  were  the  anacondas  ;  but 
Kallolo  averred  that  they  were  not  often  found  in 
narrow  streams,  and  that  the  alligators  always  forsook 
the  flooded  region  and  went  further  up  the  country, 
where  they  could  find  sunny  banks  to  bask  on  during 
the  day,  and  a  more  ample  supply  of  food.  We  men- 
tioned our  wishes  to  Uncle  Paul  and  my  father.  They 
at  first  objected,  but  on  Kallolo' s  assuring  them  that 
there  was  no  great  danger,  and  that  he  would  take 
good  care  of  us,  they  consented  to  let  us  go,  provided  we 
did  not  extend  our  explorations  to  any  great  distance. 
Tim  would  have  liked  to  go  also,  but  Uncle  Paul  de- 
sired him  to  remain  to  assist  him  should  his  services 
be  required.  Accordingly,  each  of  us  taking  a  long 
pole  as  a  weapon  of  defence,  as  well  as  to  assist  in 
making  our  way  along  the  fallen  logs  and  roots  of  the 
trees,   we   set    out.      Kallolo   led,    I   went    next,    and 


206  SCRAMBLING  OVER  FALLEN  TREES. 

Arthur  followed.  We  carried  also  a  long  piece  of  rope, 
one  end  of  which  Kallolo  held  in  his  hand,  and  the 
other  was  fastened  round  Arthur's  waist,  while  I  se- 
cured myself  by  a  separate  piece  to  the  middle.  Should 
either  of  us  slip  into  the  water,  we  could  thus  easily 
be  hauled  out  again. 

I  knew  very  well  that  our  expedition  would  be  a 
hazardous  one,  but  I  was  scarcely  prepared,  I  confess, 
for  the  difficulties  we  encountered  and  the  fatigue  we 
had  to  go  through.  Without  Kallolo' s  guidance  we 
should  certainly  not  have  been  able  to  accomplish  it. 
Sometimes  we  had  to  leap  from  root  to  root ;  at  others, 
to  walk  along  a  fallen  log,  raised  several  feet  above 
the  surface ;  and  often  we  had  to  wade  in  the  water 
up  to  our  knees,  with  the  risk  every  moment  of  being- 
soused  overhead  in  it.  Now  and  then  we  had  to 
climb  a  tree.  We  were  keeping  all  the  while  on  the 
east  side  of  the  stream,  as  it  was  that  on  which  we 
expected  to  find  the  encampment.  Kallolo  advanced 
cautiously,  giving  us  time  to  obtain  a  fii'm  footing 
before  he  again  moved  forward.  Sometimes  we  were 
all  three  walking  together  along  a  fallen  trunk,  then 
we  had  to  cling  to  the  huge  buttressed  roots  of  a  tree. 

We  had  gone  on  in  this  way  for  a  considerable  time, 
when  we  saw  before  us  a  wide  space  of  water,  which  it 
would  be  necessary  to  cross  ere  we  could  again  reach 
another  mass  of  trees,  over  whose  boughs  we  hoped  to 
make  our  onward  way.      Kallolo  sounded  it  with  his 


SWIMMING  IN  THE  DARK.  207 

pole.  "  We  may,  I  think,  wade  across  it/'  he  said  ; 
''  though  it  may  be  better  to  swim,  lest  we  strike  our 
feet  against  any  stems  remaining  in  the  ground."  We 
agreed  to  follow  him,  though  I  confess  I  had  no  great 
fancy  for  swimming  through  that  ink-like  water,  and 
could  not  help  fearing  lest  some  monster  lying  at  the 
bottom  might  rise  up  and  seize  us.  However,  it  had 
to  be  done,  unless  we  should  make  up  our  minds  to 
return. 

"  Are  you  ready  to  go  ? "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  answered  Arthur. 

Kallolo  entered  the  water  and  struck  out.  We  fol- 
lowed, keeping  close  behind  him  and  trailing  our  poles 
by  our  sides.  I  did  my  best  to  keep  the  end  of  mine 
down,  so  that  any  creature  at  the  bottom  might  seize 
hold  of  it  instead  of  my  legs.  Arthur  said  that  he 
was  doing  the  same ;  but  Kallolo  appeared  to  have  no 
apprehensions  on  the  subject.  We  soon  reached  a 
branch  almost  touching  the  water.  We  scrambled  on 
to  it,  and  then  without  difficulty  made  good  progress, 
holding  on  to  the  hanging  sepos  amid  which  we  passed. 
We  had  gone  some  way  when  my  foot  struck  on  a 
slimy  substance,  and  I  heard  a  loud  hiss  as  I  felt  it 
glide  from  beneath  me  and  splash  into  the  water  below. 
I  knew  that  I  had  trodden  on  a  snake,  and  was  thank- 
ful that  it  had  not  sprung  up  and  bitten  me.  I  told 
Ai'thur. 

"  I  hope  we  shall  not  meet  with  another,"  he  an- 


208  APPROACHING  THE  INDIAN  CAMP. 

swered  calmly.  ''  It  was  one  of  the  things  we  had  to 
expect." 

The  only  object  we  had  to  guide  us  was  the  light 
from  the  Indian  encampment,  of  which  we  occasionally 
caught  glimpses.  It  seemed  to  be  much  further  off 
than  we  had  supposed.  Indeed,  sometimes  I  fancied 
that  it  was  no  nearer  than  w^hen  first  we  started ! 
Occasionally  I  felt  almost  sorry  that  I  had  attempted 
the  expedition.  Then  I  remembered  the  importance 
of  ascertaining  the  exact  position  of  the  encampment, 
and  its  distance  from  the  river. 

Sometimes,  as  we  went  along,  we  disturbed  huge 
froo^s,  which  were  seated  on  the  low  boughs  and  the 
floating  logs,  and  which  went  off  with  loud  splashes 
into  the  water.  The  croakings  of  others  were  heard  on 
every  side.  Frequently  a  huge  bat  or  bird  of  night 
flitted  by.  The  wings  of  the  former  fanned  our  faces, 
while  the  latter  uttered  a  harsh  croak  or  shriek  as  it 
flew  through  the  gloom.  Generally  all  around  us  was 
silent  and  dark,  an  oppressive  gloom  pervading  the 
atmosphere,  except  when  we  passed  through  a  swarm 
of  fire-flies  or  elaters,  as  we  now  and  then  did. 

At  length  as  we  advanced  we  saw  a  light  directly 
before  us,  and  considerably  above  the  level  over  which 
we  were  passing.  We  were  anxious  to  get  as  near 
to  it  as  we  could  without  being  seen,  so  as  to  ascer- 
tain its  distance  from  the  river.  We  went  on  some 
way  further,  when,  to  our  surprise,  we  came  upon  a 


APPROACHING     THE     INDIAN     CAMP. 


FIXED  TO  THE  SPOT.  211 

stream,  which  we  found  running  between  us  and  the 
Indian  camp  (for  so  I  may  call  it,  for  want  of  a  better 
name).  On  we  crept  in  silence,  till,  crawling  along  a 
bough  which  hung  just  above  the  water,  we  came  full 
in  sight  of  it.  We  now  discovered,  what  I  had  before 
conjectured,  that  it  was  a  platform  erected  upon  the 
branches  of  an  enormous  tree.  In  the  centre  burned  a 
fire,  around  which  some  thirty  or  forty  natives  were 
seated,  while  we  could  distinguish  others  scattered 
about, — some  on  the  branches,  and  others  on  a  mass  of 
logs  which  formed  a  natural  bridge  at  no  great  distance 
from  us.  The  light  of  the  fire  above  showed  us  two 
men  standing  on  it.  We  dared  scarcely  move  lest  they 
should  see  us.  What  they  were  about  we  could  not 
ascertain,  but  it  seemed  to  us  that  they  were  watching 
for  some  one.  Could  they  by  any  means  have  dis- 
covered our  approach,  I  thought  it  would  not  take 
them  many  minutes  to  cross  the  stream  and  make  their 
way  to  us.  We  could  see  no  canoes.  With  a  canoe 
they  might  have  speedily  overtaken  us  without  our 
having  the  slightest  chance  of  escape.  Had  Captain 
van  Dunk  and  his  companions  come  this  way,  they 
must  to  a  certainty  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
savages.  We  gazed  up  at  the  platform,  and  every- 
where around — the  figures  of  natives  alone  met  our 
sight.  I  had  been  standing  a  little  way  behind  my 
companions,  who  now  drew  back.  I  asked  them  what 
they  thought  about  the  matter. 


212  A  CAUTIOUS  RETREAT. 

''  This  is  not  the  main  stream/'  answered  Kallolo. 
''  We  must  use  great  caution  in  proceeding,  as  it  can- 
not be  far  off;  but  I  hope,  notwithstanding,  that  the 
captain  managed  to  pass  by  without  being  seen.  We 
must  remember,  when  we  attempt  to  make  the  pas- 
sage, to  keep  to  the  right,  which  will  carry  us  away 
from  this  spot." 

Arthur  was  of  Kallolo's  opinion  ;  he  acknowledged 
that  he  should  feel  very  anxious  till  we  had  got  a  good 
distance  from  the  encampment.  If  could  scarcely  be 
supposed  that  the  savages  were  without  canoes  ;  and 
should  they  by  Siny  means  discover  that  strangers  were 
near  them,  they  would  probably  follow  us. 

Having  now  gained  all  the  information  we  required, 
we  agreed  that  it  was  time  to  return,  and  accordingly 
set  out,  Kallolo  leading,  as  before.  How  he  managed 
to  guide  us  was  more  than  I  could  discover,  for  I  felt 
very  sure  that  I  should  immediately  have  lost  my  way, 
unless  I  had  turned  constantly  to  observe  the  position 
of  the  camp.  He  went  on  steadily,  without  once,  as 
far  as  I  saw,  looking  round.  He  took  a  different 
course  to  that  by  which  we  had  come  ;  and  though 
longer,  it  seemed  to  me  that  we  had  fewer  difficulties 
to  encounter  than  before.  Perhaps  we  were  more  ac- 
customed to  them.  We  had,  however,  twice  to  swim 
across  portions  of  the  flooded  land.  Had  it  not  been 
for  the  fear  of  being  caught  by  an  anaconda  or  alli- 
gator, this  would  have  been  the  less  fatiguing  mode  of 


RETURN  IN  SAFETY.  213 

proceeding ;  but  as  we  made  our  way  tlirough  the 
dark  waters,  I  could  not  avoid  having  very  uncomfort- 
able feelings  on  the  subject.  In  some  places  the  water 
was  sufficiently  shallow  to  enable  us  to  wade  without 
difficulty,  showing  that  the  land  must  here  be  much 
higher,  and  giving  us  hopes  that  we  should,  before  long, 
reach  dry  ground.  The  most  difficult  work  was  walk- 
ing along  the  submerged  logs,  for  we  had  carefully  to 
balance  ourselves,  to  prevent  falling  off.  At  the  end 
we  had  generally  to  climb  up  the  roots  or  branches, 
and  make  our  way  along  the  low  boughs,  sometimes 
having  to  swing  ourselves  off  from  one  to  the  other 
by  means  of  the  sepos.  Several  times  the  boughs 
threatened  to  give  way  beneath  our  feet ;  and  once 
Arthur  and  I  were  plunged  into  a  mass  of  rotten 
brushwood  and  water,  where  we  should  certainly  have 
lost  our  lives  had  not  Kallolo  quickly  hauled  us  out 
again  with  the  rope.  At  length,  thoroughly  fatigued, 
we  saw,  just  as  the  dawn  was  breaking,  the  log  and 
our  friends  on  it,  who  were  anxiously  looking  out  for 
us,  as  we  had  been  absent  much  longer  than  they  had 
expected  us  to  be. 

We  were  thankful  to  take  off  our  wet  trousers  and 
shirts,  and  cover  ourselves  up  in  Uncle  Paul's  and 
my  father's  cloaks  while  our  own  clothes  were  hung 
up  to  dry.  This  did  not  take  long  in  the  hot  air. 
We  were  too  tired  to  eat,  and  therefore  lay  down  to 
sleep  till  breakfast  time  ;   while  Kallolo,  who  was  well 


214  ATTACKED  BY  FEVER. 

accustomed  to  that  sort  of  work,  gave  an  account  of 
our  expedition  to  my  father  and  Uncle  Paul. 

When  I  awoke,  I  found  breakfast  prepared  ;  and 
putting  on  my  clothes,  I  sat  down  to  eat  it.  We 
had  ventured  to  light  a  small  fire,  as  Kallolo  assured 
us  that  the  Indians  would  not  observe  the  smoke  at 
the  distance  they  were  from  us.  A  decoction  from  some 
leaves,  which  served  us  as  tea,  had  been  boiled  in  the 
iron  pot.  I  could  have  drunk  any  quantity  of  it,  but 
found  myself  utterly  unable  to  eat  anything.  Arthur 
was  much  in  the  same  state  ;  indeed,  he  felt  even 
worse  than  I  did.  Our  friends  became  very  anxious, 
for,  without  shelter  or  any  remedies  against  disease, 
should  we  become  really  ill  the  matter  would  be  very 
serious.  Kallolo,  seeing  the  condition  we  were  in, 
immediately  set  to  work  and  cut  a  quantity  of  palm 
branches,  with  which,  aided  by  Tim,  he  formed  a  sort 
of  arbour  to  shelter  us  from  the  sun.  He  then  started 
off,  and  returned  shortly  with  the  fruit  of  a  certain 
palm — a  decoction  from  which,  he  said,  would  afford  a 
cooling  drink — which  he  immediately  put  on  the  fire. 
After  allowing  the  liquid  to  cool,  he  gave  each  of  us  a 
large  cupful,  and  poured  the  remainder  into  one  of  the 
bottles  formed  from  the  cuja  fruit,  his  countenance 
meanwhile  expressing  deep  concern. 

All  day  we  lay,  our  heads  racked  with  pain.  Had 
we  been  called  upon  to  make  any  exertion,  we  should 
have   found  it  impossible.       Uncle   Paul   proposed   to 


RAPID  RECOVERY.  215 

bleed  us,  but  Kallolo  entreated  him  not  to  do  so,  say- 
ing that  if  we  persevered  in  following  his  plan  of  cure 
we  should  soon  be  well.  We  drank  cupful  after  cupful 
of  the  decoction  he  had  prepared  ;  and  towards  evening 
the  pain  left  my  head,  and  though  I  felt  a  peculiar 
lassitude  such  as  I  had  never  before  experienced,  I 
had  no  other  disagreeable  sensation.  By  the  next 
morning  both  Arthur  and  I  were  perfectly  well,  and 
able  to  do  justice  to  the  portions  of  fish  and  flesh  cooked 
for  us,  and  the  ample  supply  of  fruit  Kallolo  had  col- 
lected in  the  forest.  This  was  the  only  time  during  the 
period  of  our  expedition  that  I  had  the  slightest  attack 
of  illness. 

''  I  am  so  thankful  that  you  are  both  well  again ! " 
exclaimed  Marian,  as  she  sat  near  us.  "  I  was  so 
miserable  all  yesterday ;  and  thought  how  dreadful  it 
would  be  should  you  die,  and  our  father  and  uncle  be 
left  with  me  alone.  I  am  not  exactly  tired  of  this 
sort  of  life,  but  I  do  heartily  wish  that  we  were  safe 
aofain  amonf]^  friends." 

''  It  is  better  than  being  shut  up  in  the  Inquisition, 
at  all  events,"  said  Arthur  ;  "  though  for  your  sake  I 
wish  we  were  safe  on  shore.  However,  perhaps  before 
long  we  may  reach  dry  land  ;  and  then,  if  the  brave 
skipper  is  able  to  carry  out  his  intentions,  we  may 
soon  get  away.  If  we  can  reach  a  Dutch  settlement, 
we  shall  be  safe  ;  for  when  the  Hollanders  hear  that 
we  have  been  flying  from  the  Inquisition,  they  will,  I 


216  A  FLOATING  ARBOUR. 

am  very  sure,  give  us  a  friendly  reception.  You  know 
how  bravely  they  fought  to  overthrow  it  in  their  own 
country,  under  the  brave  William  of  Orange,  when 
Philip  of  Spain  and  his  cruel  general  the  Duke  of 
Alva  tried  to  impose  it  on  them.  They  have  never 
forgotten  those  days  ;  and  their  country  is  as  purely  a 
Protestant  one  as  Old  England  and  her  colonies." 

I  heard  my  poor  father  sigh  ;  he  was,  I  have  no 
doubt,  regretting  having  ventured  under  a  government 
supporting  that  homble  system,  so  calculated  to  destroy 
all  true  religious  principles,  and  to  make  the  people 
become  fanatics  or  hypocrites.  Arthur  heard  him,  and 
changed  the  subject,  as  he  knew  it  must  be  one  which 
could  not  fail  to  be  painful. 

We  were  anxiously  awaiting  the  return  of  Maco, 
whom  we  hoped  would  bring  us  tidings  of  Captain  van 
Dunk. 

The  heat,  as  may  be  supposed,  was  very  great,  for 
the  sun  having  gained  its  greatest  altitude,  its  rays  fell 
down  on  the  narrow  stream  undisturbed  by  the  slight- 
est breath  of  air.  To  shield  us  somewhat  from  it,  Kal- 
lolo  and  Tim  had  collected  a  number  of  branches,  and 
formed  a  complete  arbour  over  our  heads,  in  addition 
to  the  bed-places  they  bad  before  made.  We  could 
thus  lie  in  the  shade,  shielded  from  the  burnino-  sun. 
It  served  also  to  hide  us  from  the  view  of  any  natives 
who  might  approach  the  neighbourhood.  The  lower 
part  was  left  open,  so  as  to  allow  the  air  to  circulate 


K ED-FACED  MONKEYS.  217 

freely  ;    and  we   could  thus   see    the    forest  on  either 
side. 

We  were  all  seated  together  ;  but  most  of  us  feeling- 
drowsy,  were  disinclined  for  conversation.  I  was  lying 
down  near  Marian,  when  she  touched  me,  whisper- 
ing, "Look,  look,  Guy,  at  those  curious  creatures!" 
I  turned  my  eyes  in  the  direction  she  pointed,  and 
saw,  peering  at  us  from  among  the  boughs  of  a  neigh- 
bouring tree,  a  whole  tribe  of  almost  tailless  monkeys. 
They  were  curious-looking  creatures,  with  faces  of  a 
vivid  scarlet  hue  ;  their  bodies,  about  eighteen  inches 
long,  were  clothed  with  long,  straight,  shining,  whitish 
hair  ;  their  heads  were  nearly  bald,  and  sprinkled 
over  with  a  short  crop  of  thin  gray  hair  ;  whilst 
around  their  ruddy  countenances  were  bushy  whiskers 
of  a  sandy  colour,  leading  under  the  chin.  Though 
almost  destitute  of  tails,  they  seemed  to  be  active  little 
creatures,  as  we  saw  them  running  up  and  down  the 
larger  branches ;  not  leaping,  however,  from  one  to 
the  other,  as  do  most  of  the  monkey  tribes  which  we 
had  seen.  Several  of  them,  evidently  mothers,  were 
carrying  young  ones  on  their  backs  ;  but  they  moved 
about  quite  as  rapidly  a&  the  rest.  We  remained  per- 
fectly quiet,  watching  them  at  their  gambols.  Noav 
and  then  several  of  them  would  .come  and  have  a  look 
at  us,  and  then  run  off — as  if  to  give  an  account  to 
their  companions  of  the  strange  creatures  they  had 
seen.      Soon  others  would  come  and  gaze  at  us  with 


218  THE  WHITE  UAKARI. 

their  reddish-yellow  eyes,  evidently  somewhat  doubtful 
as  to  what  we  were,  and  as  to  our  power  to  harm 
them  ;  again  to  run  off  to  a  distance,  jabbering  and 
shrieking  in  the  greatest  excitement.  Prompted  by 
curiosity,  others  would  quickly  appear, — especially 
mammas,  accompanied  by  delicate-looking  monkeys 
whom  we  took  to  be  unmarried  young  ladies.  Indeed, 
they  showed  that  curiosity  affects  the  breasts  of  female 
monkeys  as  powerfully  as  it  is  said  to  do  that  of 
human  beings  of  the  fair  sex.  They  afforded  us  great 
amusement ;  till  at  last,  after  an  hour  or  so,  Uncle 
Paul,  who  had  been  sleeping,  suddenly  started  up  and 
gave  a  loud  sneeze,  when  they  all  scampered  up  a  tree  ; 
and  as  we  looked  up,  we  could  see  them  making  their 
way  along  the  topmost  branches,  till  they  disappeared 
in  the  distance. 

Kallolo  told  us  that  this  species  of  monkey  is  known 
as  the  white  uakari.  Marian  said  that  she  should  like 
to  have  one.  He  replied  that  they  were  very  difficult 
to  catch,  and  that  unless  taken  very  young,  being  of  a 
sensitive  disposition,  they  speedily  pine  and  die.  He 
told  us  that  the  native,  when  he  wishes  to  catch  one 
alive,  goes  forth  with  his  blowpipe  and  arrows  tipped 
with  diluted  woorali  poison.  This  poison,  though  it 
produces  a  deadly  effect  on  all  animals,  as  well  as  on 
the  natives,  who  exist  without  salt,  has  very  little 
effect  on  salt-consuming  Europeans.  Salt,  indeed,  is 
the  only  antidote   to  the  poison.      The  hunter,  there- 


MODE  OF  CATCHING  MONKEYS.  219 

fore,  when  in  search  of  the  white  uakari,  supplies  himself 
with  a  small  quantity  of  salt.  As  soon  as  he  has  shot 
the  monkey,  he  follows  it  through  the  forest,  till,  the 
poison  beginning  to  take  effect,  it  falls  from  the  tree. 
He  takes  care  to  be  close  under  the  bough  to  catch  it 
in  his  arms,  and  immediately  puts  a  pinch  of  salt  into 
its  mouth.  In  a  short  time  the  little  creature  revives  ; 
and  in  most  instances  not  appearing  to  be  much  the 
worse  for  the  poison,  it  is  led  away  captive.  A  young 
one  thus  entrapped  speedily  becomes  tame,  and  is 
much  prized,  as  an  interesting  pet,  by  the  white  in- 
habitants. Kallolo  promised,  as  soon  as  he  could 
manufacture  a  blowpipe,  to  try  and  catch  a  young 
uakari  for  Marian ;  and  he  said  that  he  was  sure, 
under  the  instruction  of  Quacko,  it  would  soon  be- 
come civilized. 

Hitherto  Quacko  and  the  ara  parrot  had  been  our  chief 
sources  of  amusement.  The  two  creatures  had  become 
great  friends,  though  Quacko  now  and  then  showed  an 
inclination  to  pick  the  feathers  out  of  his  companion's 
back  ;  but  when  he  made  the  attempt,  she  resented  it 
by  a  severe  peck  on  his  head — and  one  day  caught  the 
tip  of  his  tail,  and  gave  it  a  bite  which  was  calculated 
to  teach  him  not  to  behave  in  the  same  manner  again. 
Whenever  we  asked  Kallolo  to  try  and  catch  us  some 
more  pets,  he  invariably  replied,  "  Wait  till  I  can 
mal^e  my  blowpipe  and  some  poison,  and  then  I  will 
bring  you   as  many  creatures   as   you   may  wish  for. 


220  ALARMING  INTELLIGENCE. 

Ah,  the  blowpipe  is  a  ^Yonderful  instrument ;  it  Avill 
serve  to  kill  anything,  from  a  big  tapir  or  a  fierce 
jaguar  or  puma,  down  to  the  smallest  manakin  or 
humming-bird." 

Frequently,  during  the  day,  Kallolo  crept  from  our 
shelter  and  took  a  look  round  in  the  direction  of  the 
Indian  camp,  to  make  sure  that  none  of  the  savages 
were  approaching.  He  was  certain,  he  said,  that  they 
had  no  canoes,  or  they  would  have  found  us  out  before 
this.  Just  at  sunset  he  came  back  with  the  alarmino^ 
intelligence  that  he  had  seen  an  Indian  in  the  distance, 
who  was  evidently  making  his  way  towards  us.  He 
advised  us  to  remain  perfectly  quiet,  so  that,  unless  he 
should  really  come  close  to  the  log,  we  might  escape 
being  seen.  "As  I  saw  but  one  man,  he  cannot  be 
coming  with  any  hostile  intention  ;  though  he  might 
possibly,  should  he  discover  us,  go  back  and  return 
with  his  companions,"  he  added.  We  all  accordingly 
Avithdrew  within  our  leafy  arbour,  where,  as  the  night 
was  already  casting  its  gloomy  mantle  over  us,  there 
was  little  probability  of  our  being  seen. 

We  remained  without  speaking,  for  fear  the  stranger 
might  hear  our  voices.  The  sounds  I  have  before  de- 
scribed began  to  issue  from  the  forest,  preventing  us 
from  hearing  the  noise  he  might  make  in  approaching. 
We  had  begun  to  hope  that  he  had  turned  back,  when 
suddenly  a  voice  close  to  us  exclaimed,  ''  Halloa  !  what 
has  become  of  them  all  ?"   and  to  our  great  satisfaction 


MACO  S  RETURN.  221 

we  recognized  it  as  that  of  Maco.  Uncle  Paul  inune- 
diately  called  to  him  ;  and  he  soon  scrambled  on  board, 
exhibiting  infinite  satisfaction  at  finding  us.  He  had, 
he  told  us,  many  adventures  to  narrate,  in  addition 
to  a  message  of  importance  which  he  brought  from  the 
captain.  We  replied  that  we  were  eager  to  hear  what 
he  had  to  say. 

''  I  must  be  a  very  short  time  about  it,"  he  answered, 
"  as  the  captain  begs  that  you  will  come  forward  at 
once  and  join  him.  You  must  know  that  we  found 
the  voyage  on  the  raft  far  more  difficult  than  we  had 
expected,  on  account  of  the  number  of  large  roots 
projecting  into  the  stream,  and  the  boughs  which 
hung  over  it,  almost  close  to  the  surface  of  the  water. 
We  frequently  had  to  jump  off  our  ]-aft,  and,  where  the 
water  was  shallow  enough,  drag  it  along.  At  other 
times  we  had  to  swim  by  its  side,  or  push  it  before 
us  ;  and  even  thus  we  had  often  difficulty  in  getting 
along.  We  believe  that  we  were  not  discovered  by 
the  natives ;  at  all  events,  they  did  not  follow  us. 
Twice  we  caught  sight  of  them  when  we  were  in  the 
water,  and  we  could  not  account  for  their  not  having 
seen  us.  We  found  the  channel  extended  for  several 
miles,  seldom  being  wider  than  it  is  here,  and 
often  much  narrower.  At  its  termination  it  widens 
into  a  succession  of  lakes  ;  but  for  a  long  way  we 
could  not  find  firm  ground.  At  length,  after  pushing 
up  a  stream,  we  reached  a  bank  where  the  forest  was 


222  MACO  S  NARRATIVE. 

much  less  dense  than  we  had  hitherto  found  it ;  and 
going  on  still  further,  we  arrived  at  an  open  space  of 
small  size,  exactly  such  as  the  captain  was  in  search 
of  We  here  landed  our  stores  ;  and  he  and  Peter  hav- 
ing begun  to  put  up  a  hut,  and  to  mark  such  trees  as 
he  considered  would  serve  for  a  vessel,  he  sent  Sambo 
and  I  back  on  the  raft  to  the  end  of  the  narrow  pas- 
sage. I  there  left  Sambo,  to  take  care  of  the  raft, 
and  to  catch  fish  and  kill  some  birds  for  food,  while  I 
swam  on  here  with  the  aid  of  my  floats.  Considering 
the  difficulties  we  met  with  in  getting  through  the 
passage  on  the  raft,  the  captain  advises  that  you 
should  all  make  your  way  along  it  by  swimming.  We 
saw  no  alligators,  which  are  the  only  creatures  to  be 
dreaded,  and  the  captain  is  certain  that  they  have  all 
gone  further  into  the  interior  ;  at  all  events,  that  none 
inhabit  the  passage.  I  am  now  well  acquainted  with 
the  way  ;  and  if  we  pass  the  Indian  encampment  dur- 
ing? the  hours  of  darkness,  we  shall  run  no  risk  of  beino^ 
discovered.  Should  you  decline  coming  on  in  the  way 
I  mention,  the  captain  advises  that  you  should  go 
back  on  the  log,  and  try  to  find  the  entrance  of  a  much 
wider  and  deeper  channel,  which  he  is  sure  exists 
some  way  to  the  northward  ;  and  it  is  by  this  channel 
that  the  captain  hopes  to  carry  his  vessel,  when  built, 
into  the  waters  of  the  Orinoco." 

We  all  listened  eagerly  to  Maco's  account ;   of  which 
I   merely  give  a  brief  translation,  for,  of  course,  the 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  DEPARTURE.         223 

language  he  used  would  be  quite  unintelligible  to  my 
readers. 

Uncle  Paul  was  very  doubtful  about  the  plan  pro- 
posed, and  my  father  was  very  unwilling  to  expose 
Marian  to  so  much  risk.  She  herself,  however, 
declared  that  she  was  quite  willing  to  undertake  the 
expedition.  Both  Kallolo  and  Maco  very  strongly 
urged  that  we  should  do  as  the  captain  advised. 
Were  we  to  return  down  the  stream  on  the  log,  a  long 
time  might  be  spent ;  and  we  should  very  likely  fall 
in  with  other  savages,  who  might  be  even  less  jDeace- 
fully  disposed  than  those  in  the  camp  near  us.  Their 
habits  we  had  as  yet  had  no  opportunity  of  ascer- 
taining. They  might  possibly  be  friendly,  though, 
with  the  uncertainty,  it  was  prudent  to  try  and  avoid 
them  altogether.  One  thing  was  certain,  they  were 
not  addicted  to  roaming  about,  or  they  could  not  have 
failed  to  find  us ;  and  we  might  certainly  hope  to  pass 
by  them  unobserved.  These  arguments  at  length  pre- 
vailed with  my  father  and  Uncle  Paul,  and  they  agreed 
to  set  out.  The  few  things  we  had  with  us  were  done 
tightly  up  and  placed  on  floats,  which  Kallolo  and 
Maco  agreed  to  push  before  them.  Marian's  gown 
and  our  jackets  were  done  up  in  the  same  way,  so  that 
she  only  retained  a  tight-fitting  under-dress,  which 
would  not  impede  her  progress,  while  we  wore  our 
trousers.  These  arrangements  being  made,  we  fitted 
on  our  floats,  of  which  each  of  us  had  four;   and  they 


224  A  NOVEL  EXPEDITION. 

were  sufficient  to  keep  our  shoulders  and  arms  well  out 
of  the  water,  while  at  the  same  time  they  did  not  im- 
pede our  progress. 

We  took  our  last  meal  on  board  the  log  which  had 
carried  us  so  well ;  then  waiting  for  some  time,  till  we 
believed  that  the  natives  would  have  retired  to  rest, 
we  stood  ready  to  set  out  on  our  dangerous  and 
novel  expedition.  In  no  other  climate  could  we  have 
undertaken  it.  The  water  was  here  so  warm,  even 
at  night,  that  there  was  no  risk  of  our  limbs  becoming 
cramped  by  being  long  immersed  in  it ;  nor  were  we 
likely  to  suffer  in  any  other  way.  Really,  for  the 
sake  of  protection  from  the  cold,  garments  were  alto- 
gether unnecessary  ;  and  it  is  not  surprising  that 
the  dark-skinned  natives  should  consider  them  an 
encumbrance,  and  generally  dispense  with  them  alto- 
gether. 

''Are  3^ou  all  ready  ?  "  asked  Uncle  Paul. 

"  Yes  !  "  was  the  general  answer  ;    ''all  read}'." 

It  was  settled  that  he  should  take  the  command, 
though  Maco  acted  as  our  guide.  The  Indian,  slip- 
ping off  into  the  water,  struck  out  up  the  centre  of 
the  channel ;  our  uncle  and  father  followed  ;  Kallolo 
went  next,  carrying  Quacko  on  his  head,  with  Tim, 
who  had  charge  of  Ara  on  his  ;  Marian  and  I,  with 
Arthur  to  support  her  in  case  of  need,  brought  up  the 
rear.  The  floats  bore  us  up  admirably  ;  and  we  found 
swimming  a  far  more   easy  mode  of  progression  than 


PASSING  THE  INDIAN  CAMP.  225 

we  should  have  found  walking  over  the  logs  through 
the  mighty  forest  to  be. 

We  went  on,  keeping  close  together,  without  speak- 
ing, lest  by  any  chance  our  voices  might  be  heard 
by  the  Indians,  whom  we  were  anxious  to  avoid. 
Our  progress  was  slow,  of  course,  as  the  best  swimmers 
had  to  wait  for  the  rest.  The  time  appeared  to  me 
to  be  very  long ;  and  I  fancied  that  we  had  been 
swimming  for  more  than  an  hour,  when  in  reality  we 
had  not  been  half  that  time  in  the  water.  We  could 
not,  however,  avoid  every  now  and  then  looking  up  to 
the  huge  fire  of  the  Indians,  which  could  be  discerned 
burning  brightly  in  the  distance  ;  but  instead  of  getting 
nearer  to  it,  as  I  expected  that  we  should,  it  became 
less  and  less  distinct,  and  at  last  was  to  be  seen 
almost  behind  us.  I  knew  that  we  were  turnino:  off 
in  an  opposite  direction ;  still  we  were  too  near  the 
danger  not  to  wish  to  get  further  from  it.  On  our 
left  I  observed  the  mouth  of  a  channel  which  we  had 
reached  on  a  former  night,  and  which  led,  I  have  no 
doubt,  close  under  the  Indian  encampment.  Had  we 
not  possessed  Maco  as  a  guide,  we  should  very  naturally 
have  gone  up  it,  and  thus  found  ourselves  close  to  our 
supposed  enemies. 

I  was  already  beginning  to  feel  somewhat  fatigued, 
and  I  was  afraid  that  Marian  must  be  tired.  I  asked 
her  how  she  felt. 

"  I  should  much   like  to  get  a   short  rest,   if   it   is 

(540)  15 


226  MARIAN  S  COURAGE. 

possible,"  she  answered ;  "  but  I  can  go  on  longer, 
Ibough  my  arms  and  legs  are  beginning  to  ache." 

Just  then  Maco,  who  had  been  some  way  ahead, 
returned;  and  having  spoken  a  few  words  to  Uncle  Paul, 
he  led  us  to  the  side  of  the  stream,  where  we  found  the 
buttress  roots,  as  I  have  before  described,  of  a  large  tree 
projecting  into  the  water.  We  all  climbed  on  it ;  and 
Arthur  and  I  assisted  Marian  to  a  spot  where  she 
could  rest  with  comparative  comfort.  We  sat  down 
by  her  side,  but  prudence  prevented  us  from  speaking 
above  a  whisper.  We  waited  for  some  time,  then 
Uncle  Paul  asked  her  if  she  w'as  ready  to  go  on. 

"  Yes,  yes  1 "  she  answered.  "  I  already  begin  to 
feel  more  like  a  fish  ;  and  I  think,  after  a  little  experi- 
ence I  shall  be  as  much  at  home  in  the  water  as  on 
dry  ground." 

This  answer  sho^ved  that  she  was  in  good  spirits  ; 
and  once  more  the  whole  party  slipped  into  the  channel. 
We  proceeded  up  it  much  in  the  same  Avay  as  before. 
Quacko  and  Ara  would  have  objected  to  this  sort  of 
progress,  had  they  not  been  perched  on  the  heads  of 
those  whom  they  knew  to  be  their  friends.  There  they 
sat  with  perfect  composure,  supposing  that  all  must 
be  right,  and,  I  dare  say,  thinking  themselves  beings 
of  no  little  importance. 

We  had  gone  on  for  some  time,  when  I  perceived 
that  the  gloom  of  night  was  gradually  disappearing, 
the  light  of  dawn   taking   its   place.      I  describe   the 


OUR      LONG     SWIM— DAYBREAK. 


A  LOVELY  SCENE.  229 

change  from  night  to  day  just  as  it  appeared  to  me  at 
the  time.  Looking  up,  I  saw  that  the  tops  of  the  trees 
were  alrea'dy  tinged  with  the  glow  of  the  rising  sun. 
Rapidly  it  descended ;  and  at  length  the  trees,  the 
tall  stems  and  winding  sepos,  the  rich  foliage,  and  the 
calm  water,  were  bathed  in  the  warm  light  of  day. 
No  scene  could  have  been  more  beautiful.  Our  spirits 
rose,  and,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  I  could  scarcely 
help  shouting  out  with  delight.  On  one  side  of  us 
floated  a  number  of  magnificent  water-lilies  with 
leaves  of  prodigious  size,  which  I  will  afterwards 
describe.  They  were  such  as  we  had  never  seen  be- 
fore. 

Maco,  who  had  gone  ahead,  was  seated  on  a  bough 
almost  concealed  by  the  foliage,  beckoning  us  to  come 
on.  At  that  moment  Uncle  Paul  pointed  upwards 
towards  the  left ;  and  looking  over  my  shoulder,  I  saw 
through  an  opening  in  the  forest  a  platform  raised 
between  several  palm-trees,  with  a  number  of  natives 
on  it,  while  others,  with  spears  in  their  hands,  were 
standing  on  the  lower  boughs  engaged  in  spearing  cither 
fish  or  turtles.  They  were  apparently  so  occupied,  that 
we  hoped  they  had  not  seen  us. 

Although  we  had  already  been,  swimming  for  some 
time,  we  could  not  venture  to  rest  as  we  had  intended 
doing ;  we  therefore  pushed  on  as  rapidly  as  we  could. 
In  a  short  time  Marian  confessed  that  she  could  go  no 
further.      We  had,  fortunately,  a  small  piece  of  rope. 


230  MARIAN  IN  TOW, 

which  the  skipper  had  left  us.  It  was  uncoiled  from 
the  float  which  supported  it,  and  one  end  fastened  to 
Marian's  floats  ;  Kallolo  taking  the  other  end,  towed  her 
forward,  while  Arthur  and  I  swam  by  her  side.  We 
were  thus  able  to  proceed  much  faster  than  before. 

At  last  we  all  got  so  tired,  that  even  Arthur  and  I 
could  not  help  crying  out  that  we  should  like  to  rest ; 
and  as  we  had  for  some  time  lost  sight  of  the  Indians, 
there  appeared  to  be  no  danger  in  our  doing  so. 
Reaching  a  wide-spreading  bough,  therefore,  interlaced 
by  a  number  of  sepos  not  more  than  a  foot  from  the 
water,  those  who  were  leading  climbed  on  it,  and  as- 
sisted up  Marian,  Arthur  and  I  following.  Here  we 
were  all  able  to  rest,  sheltered  from  the  rays  of  the  sun, 
by  this  time  striking  down  with  great  force,  and  con- 
cealed from  any  one  at  a  distance  by  the  thick  foliage 
which  surrounded  us. 


CHAPTER  X. 

MAKE  A  TAFT  FOR  MARIAN  — SAMBO'S  RETURN— SAVAGES— CAPTURE  OF  MACC— 
HE  ESCAPES,  AND  INTRODUCES  HIS  BROTHER — KALLOLO'S  ACCOUNT  OF  HIS 
NATION    AND    PEOPLE       A   NIGHT   ALARM. 

'HENEVER  my  thoughts  carry  me  back  to 
that  wonderful  swim,  it  appears  to  me  like 
a  dream,  and  I  begin  to  doubt  its  reality  ; 
yet  all  the  incidents  are  vividly  impressed 
on  my  mind,  and  I  recollect  perfectly  the 
scenery,  the  actors,  and  what  was  said.  So  I  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  it  must  have  been  performed. 

While  we  sat  on  the  bough,  we  got  out  our  provi- 
sions from  one  of  the  miniature  rafts,  and  took  our 
breakfast.  The  food  restored  our  strength  ;  but  we 
required  no  liquid,  for  the  moisture  we  had  imbibed 
through  our  pores  in  swimming  for  so  long  prevented 
us  feeling  any  sensation  of  thirst. 

Judging  from  myself,  I  could  not  help  fearing  that 
Marian  must  be  very  tired.  I  asked  her  if  she  did  not 
feel  so. 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  though  I  should  like  to  go  on,  I 
am   afraid  I  shall  not   be   able  to  swim  much  further, 


232  A  RAFT. 

and  shall  be  the  cause  of  stopping  you  all.  My  arms 
already  ache ;  but  still  I  will  do  my  best,  if  it  is 
necessary  to  swim  on.  Even  should  I  lose  my  strength 
altogether,  I  can  then  lie  on  my  back,  and  Kallolo  can 
tow  me." 

"  We  must  not  let  you  run  the  risk  of  becoming 
ill,"  exclaimed  Arthur.  "  We  must  build  a  raft  large 
enough  to  carry  you,  and  we  can  tow  you  w^hile  you 
lie  upon  it.  It  will  be  far  better  than  allowing  you 
to  swim  on." 

Marian  thanked  him,  and  confessed  that  she  should 
infinitely  prefer  that  mode  of  progression,  though  she 
enjoyed  swimming  for  a  short  time.  Ai^thur  at  once 
told  Uncle  Paul  and  our  father,  and  they  agreed  that 
we  should  build  a  raft  large  enough  for  the  purpose 
proposed.  We  wished  to  have  it  of  sufficient  size  to 
carry  our  father  also  ;  but  he  would  not  hear  of  it, 
declaring  that  he  enjoyed  the  swimming,  and  had  no 
fear  of  his  streno-th  failino^  him. 

We  at  once  set  to  work  ;  and  as  we  had  no  axe,  we 
were  compelled  to  break  off  by  main  strength,  having 
first  deeply  notched  them  with  our  knives,  as  many 
small  palms  of  equal  girth  as  we  could  collect.  We 
then  had  to  cut  up  a  number  into  short  lengths,  to 
serve  as  cross-pieces.  Having  collected  our  materials, 
we  set  to  work  to  bind  them  together  with  thin 
sepos.  The  raft,  though  rather  rough,  was  of  sufficient 
strength   for   our   purpose  ;   and   even   had   it  come  to 


SAMBO  IN  SIGHT.  233 

pieces,  Marian  had  life-buoys  with  which  to  swim. 
We  placed  on  it  all  our  small  bundles,  which  we  had 
hitherto  either  towed  or  pushed  before  us  ;  and  again  we 
asked  our  father  if  he  would  not  allow  us  to  build  a 
smaller  raft  for  himself 

"  No,"  he  replied.  "  But  I  will  accompany  Marian, 
and  it  will  afford  me  rest  should  I  grow  tired." 

While  we  had  been  employed  in  forming  the  raft, 
Kallolo  and  Maco  had  made  an  excursion  into  the 
forest  to  try  and  ascertain  the  whereabouts  of  the 
natives  we  had  passed,  and  whether,  from  their  ap- 
pearance, they  were  likely  to  prove  friendly  or  other- 
wise. This  they  could  tell,  they  said,  from  their  style 
of  dress  and  their  hair,  from  the  marks  on  their  bodies, 
and,  above  all,  from  their  weapons.  If  they  proved  to 
be  a  friendly  tribe,  our  friends  intended  to  borrow  a 
canoe,  in  which  we  might  perform  the  remainder  of 
our  voyage  in  comparative  comfort  and  safety.  If  the 
Indians  were  likely  to  be  badly-disposed,  they  w^ould 
steal  away  without  communicating  with  them  ;  and 
they  assured  us,  from  the  precautions  they  would  take, 
that  there  was  no  fear  of  our  being  discovered. 

They  had  been  gone  for  some  time,  and  the  raft  was 
nearly  ready,  when,  as  we  were  looking  up  the  stream, 
we  caught  sight  of  a  person  swimming  down  the 
centre,  towards  us.  We  watched  him,  wondering  who  he 
could  be.  As  he  drew  near,  we  recognized  the  woolly 
head  and  black   face   of  Sambo.      He  had  not  seen  us. 


234  THE  black's  ADVENTURES. 

nor  did  he  when  he  was  close  under  the  bough.  The 
raft,  however,  which  was  floating  beneath,  seemed  to 
astonish  him.  He  swam  up  to  examine  it.  A  hearty 
laugh,  in  which  Arthur  and  I  indulged,  at  the  look  of 
astonishment  in  his  countenance,  was  the  first  intima- 
tion he  had  of  our  being  close  to  him. 

''  Oh,  Massa  Guy !  where  have  you  been  all  this 
time  ? "  he  exclaimed,  as  I  lent  him  a  hand  to  get  up 
on  the  bough. 

*'  Hid  away  among  the  branches  of  this  tree,"  I 
answered.      ''  And  pray,  where  have  you  come  from  ?  " 

"  Well,  Massa  Guy,  I  wait  some  time  ;  at  last  I 
think  that  the  young  lady  and  you  and  your  father 
get  tired  wath  the  long  swim,  so  I  thought  I  might  as 
well  brino-  the  raft  down  the  channel  as  far  as  I  could 
tow  it ;  but  it  stuck  in  the  roots  of  a  big  tree  which 
stretched  nearly  across  the  water,  and  so,  as  I  could 
not  by  myself  get  it  past  them,  I  jumped  overboard, 
and  swam  along  to  tell  you.  If  you  all  come  along, 
some  can  rest  on  it,  and  others  can  swim  alongside, 
and  we  then  go  much  faster  than  we  can  by  swimming." 

My  father  and  Uncle  Paul  thanked  Sambo  for 
coming^ ;  and  had  the  two  Indians  returned,  would  at 
once  have  set  out  with  him.  He,  however,  required 
some  rest  and  food,  and  was  not  disposed,  he  con- 
fessed, to  start  immediately.  Uncle  Paul,  on  this, 
proposed  that  Marian  should  commence  the  voyage 
without    delay,   with    our   father   and    Arthur   as    her 


DOUBTS  AND  FEARS.  235 

attendants.  I  should  have  liked  to  go  ;  but  Arthur 
was  a  better  swimmer,  and  was  stronger  than  I  was, 
and  would  thus  be  more  able  to  take  care  of  her. 
Marian,  who  was  ever  willing  to  do  what  was  thought 
best,  now,  with  Uncle  Paul's  assistance,  took  her  seat 
on  the  raft ;  while  my  father  and  Arthur,  descending 
from  the  bough  into  the  water,  placed  themselves  on 
either  side  of  it,  resting  one  hand  on  it,  while  with  the 
other  they  struck  out.  Before  they  had  gone  far,  they 
found  the  water  far  shallower  than  we  had  expected, 
and  they  were  thus  able  to  wade  on,  and  make  good 
progress. 

I  could  not  help  wishing  that  I  had  gone  with  them, 
to  share  the  difficulties  and  dangers  they  might  meet. 
In  a  short  time  they  were  hidden  by  the  overhanging 
boughs  and  mass  of  creepers,  which  descended  to  the 
surface  of  the  water.      I  expressed  my  fears  to  Sambo. 

"  Don't  trouble  yourself  about  the  matter,  Massa 
Guy,"  he  answered.  ''  They  will  get  on  very  well, 
and  there  are  plenty  of  places  to  rest  on  ;  besides,  we 
shall  soon  overtake  them,  and  before  lono^  set  safe  on 
board  the  raft." 

Still  I  felt  anxious,  and  asked  Sambo  if  he  would 
consent  to  accompany  me,  when  he  had  rested  suffi- 
ciently, should  Uncle  Paul  not  object  to  our  starting. 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  he  answered  ;  ''  but  I  hope 
before  long  that  Kallolo  and  Maco  will  come  back,  and 
then  we  may  all  set  off  together." 


236 


NO  TIME  TO  WAIT  ! 


We  waited  and  waited,  however,  and  still  neither  of 
the  Indians  appeared.  Uncle  Paul  was  himself  begin- 
ning to  grow  anxious  about  them,  still  he  felt  very  un- 
willing to  start  until  they  returned.  At  length  I  asked 
him  if  he  would  allow  me  to  go  on  with  Sambo,  telling 
him  my  anxiety  about  Marian,  my  father,  and  Arthur. 

''  It  is  very  natural,"  he  observed.  "  At  the  same 
time,  I  believe  that  they  are  as  safe  as  they  would  be 
if  we  were  all  with  them.  However,  if  you  still  wish 
to  go,  I  will  not  object  to  your  doing  so  ;  and  Tim  and 
I  will  follow  with  the  two  Indians  as  soon  as  they 
return." 

Thanking  him  for  the  permission  he  had  given  me, 
I  got  my  floats  ready,  and  asked  Sambo  if  he  was 
prepared  to  start.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  *'  all  ready,  Massa 
Guy  ; "  and  raising  himself  from  his  nest  among  the 
sepos,  he  lowered  his  floats  into  the  water,  and 
slipped  down  after  them.  Wishing  my  uncle  and 
Tim  good-bye,  though,  as  I  observed,  it  would  only  be 
for  an  hour  or  two,  I  followed  Sambo's  example. 

Just  then  Uncle  Paul  cried  out  to  me, — "  Stop ! 
stop !  I  hear  the  Indians  coming,  and  we  will  all  go 
together." 

"  We  will  go  slowly  ahead,  then,"  I  answered,  ''  and 
wait  for  you." 

Directly  afterwards  I  heard   Kallolo's  voice  crying 
out, — "  Go   on  ! — go   on  !      No    time    to    wait !      The 
and    looking    back,   I    caught 


PURSUED  BY  NATIVES.  237 

sight  of  him  through  the  gloom,  springing  along  over 
the  fallen  logs  and  roots  b}'-  the  side  of  the  channel. 
The  same  instant,  Uncle  Paul  and  Tim  slipped  into 
the  water,  and  placed  themselves  on  their  floats,  ready 
to  strike  out. 

"  Where  is  Maco  ?  "  asked  Uncle  Paul. 

"  He  coming,  close  behind,"  answered  Kallolo,  who 
had  thrown  himself  into  the  water.  As  he  did  so, 
Quacko,  who  had  been  forgotten,  leaped  off  the  branch 
and  sprang  on  to  his  shoulder  ;  while  Ara,  though  her 
wings  were  clipped,  managed  to  reach  Tim's  head. 

Shouting  to  Maco,  who  was,  we  believed,  close 
behind,  to  follow,  we  struck  out ;  but  we  had  not 
gone  many  fathoms  when  we  saw  him,  having  passed 
the  branch  on  which  we  had  been  seated,  trying  to 
make  his  way  along  a  mass  of  logs  and  roots  by  the 
side  of  the  channel,  though  greatly  impeded  in  his 
progress.  He  would,  we  saw,  have  to  take  to  the 
water  without  his  floats,  though,  being  a  good  swim- 
mer, if  the  distance  he  had  to  go  was  not  great 
that  would  be  of  little  consequence  to  him.  He  was 
just  about  to  spring  into  the  channel,  when  a  dozen 
dark-skinned  savages,  armed  with  clubs  and  spears, 
appeared,  some  bursting  through  the  brushwood,  others 
dropping  down  from  the  boughs  above,  through  which 
they  had  apparently  made  their  way.  Several  of 
them  seized  poor  Maco  before  he  could  spring  into  the 
water ;   and  I  saw  one  of  them  lift  a  heavy  club  as  if 


238  SURROUNDED  BY  SAVAGES. 

about  to  dash  out  his  brains.  It  would  have  been 
hopeless  to  have  attempted  his  rescue.  Urged  on  by 
Kallolo,  we  rushed  forward  up  the  bed  of  the  stream, 
where,  fortunately,  the  water  being  shallow,  we  were 
able  to  wade  at  a  pretty  good  rate.  The  Indians, 
catching  sight  of  us,  sprang  into  the  stream,  uttering 
loud  shrieks  and  yells — in  order,  we  supposed,  to 
intimidate  us. 

On  we  went,  now  wading,  now  swimming  where 
the  water  was  too  deep  to  allow  us  to  wade,  and 
continuing  to  make  good  progress.  Looking  back,  we 
could  still  see  the  dark  forms  of  the  savages  moving 
about.  It  was  a  question  now  whether  they  were 
about  to  follow  us,  as  they  had  approached  among  the 
boughs  along  the  channel ;  and  if  so,  whether  they 
could  make  more  rapid  progress  than  we  could  by 
keeping  in  the  stream,  and  swimming,  or  wading 
whenever  the  depth  of  water  would  allow  us  to  do  so. 
Although  we  had  lost  sight  of  them,  we  were  not  free 
from  anxiety,  as  they  might  possibly  at  any  time 
again  burst  out  upon  us.  All  we  could  do,  therefore, 
was  to  continue  going  ahead  as  fast  as  possible.  How 
thankful  we  felt  that  Marian  had  been  sent  on  before 
us  ;  for  had  we  been  compelled  to  tow  or  push  the 
raft,  our  progress  must  of  necessity  have  been  much 
slower.  We,  of  course,  kept  anxiously  looking  out  for 
her  and  our  father  and  Arthur,  expecting  every 
moment  to  come  upon  them  ;   but  we  had  not  calcu- 


I 


IN      PURSUIT. 


n 


PURSUED.  241 

lated  sufficiently  the  time  we  had  remained  on  the 
branch  after  they  had  left  it,  and  consequently  the 
distance  they  had  probably  got  ahead. 

On  and  on  we  swam,  or  waded.  The  dense ness  of 
the  vegetation  on  either  side  would  have  prevented  us 
making  our  way  along  the  bank,  even  had  there  been 
dry  ground.  We  could  only  hope  that  this  would 
effectually  put  a  stop  to  the  progress  of  our  pursuers. 

At  last,  so  great  and  continuous  had  been  our 
exertions,  we  all  began  to  feel  tired.  I  should  have 
been  more  so,  had  not  Tim  and  Kallolo  helped  me 
along.  Thankful  we  felt,  I  repeat,  that  Marian  and 
our  father  had  not  been  compelled  to  make  the  violent 
efforts  we  were  doing.  Marian  could  not  possibly 
have  kept  up,  and  we  must  all  have  been  delayed  on 
her  account.  We  now  stopped  to  listen  ;  and  hearing 
no  sounds,  agreed  that  we  might  venture  to  rest  on  the 
projecting  trunk  of  a  tree  till  our  strength  had  been 
somewhat  restored.  Going  on  a  little  way  further,  we 
found  one  which  would  accommodate  us  all,  and  from 
which  we  could  obtain  a  view  both  up  and  down  the 
channel.  We  climbed  on  it ;  and  for  the  first  time  I 
felt  my  limbs  trembling  all  over, — the  result  of  the 
efforts  I  had  made.  Uncle  Paul  observed  me,  and 
taking  my  hand,  said,  "  I  am  afraid,  Guy,  that  these 
exertions  will  be  too  much  for  you." 

"  Oh  no,  Uncle  Paul  ;  I  shall  soon  be  better,"  I 
answered.      "  I  am  more  anxious  about  Marian  and  my 


242  FKIEXDS  ! 

father  than  about  myself.  If  I  knew  that  they  were 
in  safety,  I  could  go  through  the  same  again  without 
complaining." 

"  As  for  them,  I  have  no  fear,"  he  observed.  "  They 
had  so  long  a  start,  that  by  this  time  they  must  be 
close  to  the  raft,  if  they  are  not  safe  on  it ;  and,  de- 
pend upon  it,  we  shall  reach  them  soon  after  daylight." 
We  sat  for  some  time,  when  Uncle  Paul  suggested 
that  we  should  take  some  refreshment  before  again 
starting  ;  for,  notwithstanding  our  hurry,  we  had  kept 
our  provision-raft  and  clothes  attached  to  our  floats ; 
indeed,  they  were  of  too  much  value  to  admit  of  our 
abandoning  them,  unless  in  the  last  extremity.  We 
got  out  some  dried  fish  and  fruit,  of  which  we  each  of 
us  partook,  more  from  necessity  than  from  feeling  any 
inclination  to  eat. 

We  had  just  again  done  up  the  packages,  and  were 
preparing  to  start,  when  Kallolo  exclaimed,  "  I  hear 
some  one  coming ! "  We  listened  ;  and  in  a  few 
seconds  we  could  distinguish  the  sound  of  a  rustling 
of  boughs,  as  if  a  person  were  making  his  way  through 
them. 

"  Stay  a  moment,"  said  Kallolo.  "  There  are  but 
two  people  ;  and  if  they  were  foes,  they  would  not 
approach  in  that  manner. — Who  is  there?"  he  asked, 
in  his  native  tongue. 

"  Friends,"  answered  a  voice. 

"It  is  Maco  1  "   he  exclaimed,  shoutino;  a  welcome 


MACO  AND  rOLO.  243 

to  him  ;  and  in  another  minute  Maco  himself,  workin^T^ 
his  way  through  some  brushwood  which  had  concealed 
him,  climbed  round  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  and  joined 
us.  He  was  closely  followed  by  another  native,  whom 
he  introduced  to  us.  "  He  is  more  than  a  friend,"  he 
said  ;  "he  is  my  own  brother,  who  had  been  taken 
prisoner  by  our  foes,  the  Guaranis.  They  had  com- 
pelled him  to  accompany  them  on  their  expedition  ; 
but  he  managed  to  escape  when  they  retired  to  hold  a 
war-council  after  their  attack  on  you.  On  returning 
to  the  spot,  he  found  me  unconscious  from  loss  of 
blood  ;  but  after  he  had  bathed  and  bound  up  my 
wounds,  my  senses  returned,  and  with  his  assistance  I  set 
out  to  overtake  you.  Fortunately,  he  had  discovered 
a  much  shorter  cut  through  the  forest  than  that  made 
by  the  channel  of  the  river,  and  we  were  thus  able  to 
come  up  with  you,  though  we  scarcely  expected  it." 

We  were  thankful  that  Maco  had  escaped,  and  glad 
to  get  the  assistance  of  his  brother  Polo.  Such,  he 
told  us,  was  his  name.  He  was,  for  an  Indian,  a  re- 
markably strong-built,  powerful  man,  and  would  prove 
a  useful  addition  to  our  party. 

We  had  now  to  wait  and  afford  Maco  time  to  re- 
cover his  strength.  It  seemed  wonderful  that,  after 
the  severe  treatment  he  had  received,  he  should  have 
been  able  to  move  at  all.  Fortunately  none  of  his 
bones  had  been  broken,  and  the  Indians  care  but  little 
for  bruises. 


2-44  THE  GUARANIS. 

The  Guaranis,  to  which  the  tribe  who  attacked  us 
belonged,  are  the  most  widely  scattered  of  any  of  the 
Indian  nations  in  South  America.  They  are  to  be 
found,  Uncle  Paul  told  me,  as  far  south  as  the  Rio  de  la 
Plata,  and  on  the  banks  of  most  of  the  rivers  between 
it  and  the  Orinoco,  where  the  white  man  is  not  yet 
settled.  They  exist,  however,  in  greater  numbers 
on  the  swampy  country  bordering  the  banks  of  the 
latter  river.  Their  lands  being  completely  inundated 
by  the  overflowing  of  the  rivers  for  some  months  in 
each  year,  they  construct  their  dwellings  above  the 
water,  among  the  mauritia  palms,  whose  crowns  of 
fan-like  leaves  wave  above  their  heads,  and  shield 
them  from  the  rays  of  the  burning  sun.  Not  only 
does  this  palm  afford  them  shelter,  and  material  for 
constructing  their  habitations,  but  it  gives  them  an 
abundance  of  food  for  the  support  of  life.  To  the 
upright  trunks  of  the  trees,  which  they  use  as  posts, 
they  fix  horizontally  a  number  of  palms,  several  feet 
above  the  highest  level  of  the  water.  On  this  frame- 
work they  lay  the  split  trunks  of  several  smaller 
palms  for  flooring.  Above  it  a  roof  is  formed,  thatched 
with  the  leaves  of  the  same  tree.  From  the  upper 
beams  the  hammocks  are  suspended  ;  while,  on  the 
flooring,  a  hearth  of  clay  is  formed,  on  which  fires  are 
lighted  for  cooking  their  food.  They  are  celebrated  for 
tlieir  canoes,  which  enable  them  to  procure  food  from 
the  water,  and  give  them  the  means  of  moving  from 


UTILITY  OF  THE  MAURITIA  PALM.  215 

place  to  place.  The  tribe  with  which  we  had  fallen 
in  had,  however,  left  their  canoes  in  some  other  stream, 
or  we  could  not  possibly  have  escaped  them.  They 
were  also,  it  was  evident,  of  a  more  warlike  and  quar- 
relsome disposition  than  most  of  their  people,  who  are 
noted  for  their  peaceable  behaviour.  They  are,  how- 
ever, in  other  respects  utterly  savage  in  their  habits 
and  customs.  So  little  do  they  care  for  clothing,  that 
even  the  females  wear  only  a  small  piece  of  the  bark 
of  a  tree,  or  the  net-like  covering  of  the  young  leaf  of 
the  cocoa-nut  or  cabbage  palm  ;  while  their  appearance 
is  squalid  in  the  extreme.  However,  they  cultivate 
cassava  and  other  vegetables  on  the  drier  lands  border- 
ing the  river.  From  cassava  they  make  an  intoxi- 
cating liquor,  the  cause  of  many  savage  murders  among 
them.  They  depend  greatly  on  the  pith  of  the  mau- 
ritia,  as  it  serves  them  for  bread.  No  tree,  indeed,  is 
more  useful  to  them.  Before  unfolding  its  leaves,  its 
blossoms  contain  a  sago-like  meal,  which  is  made  into 
a  paste  and  dried  in  thin  slices.  The  sap  is  converted 
into  palm  wine.  The  narrow  scaled  fruit,  which  re- 
sembles reddish  pine-cones,  yields  different  articles  of 
food,  according  to  the  period  at  which  it  is  gathered — 
whether  the  saccharine  particles  are  fully  matured,  or 
whether  it  is  still  in  a  farinaceous  condition. 

Such  was  the  account  Uncle  Paul  gave  me.  Why 
these  Guaranis  had  attacked  us,  it  was  hard  to  say, 
except  that  they  had   observed,    when   watching  our 


246  THE  ACAWOIOS. 

movements,  some  persons  of  an  enemy's  tribe  in  our 
company.  Kallolo  and  Maco  belonged,  they  told  us, 
to  the  Acawoios,  a  tribe  living  towards  the  head 
waters  of  the  Essequibo.  They  are  superior  in  do- 
mestic virtues  to  any  other  tribe,  though  warlike,  and 
ready  to  defend  their  country  as  bravely  as  any  people. 
Their  women  are  virtuous,  good  housewives,  and  at- 
tentive to  their  husbands  and  male  relatives,  both  in 
sickness  and  old  age  ;  while  the  men,  in  return,  pay 
them  more  respect  than  do  any  other  savage  people. 
The  young  mother  is  never  allowed  to  work,  or  to  pre- 
pare food  for  her  husband,  in  order  that  she  may  attend 
to  her  child.  They  are  cleanly,  hospitable,  and  generous, 
and  passionately  fond  of  their  children.  They  seldom 
talk  above  a  whisper  among  themselves,  or  get  drunk 
or  quarrel ;  nay,  more,  an  angry  look  is  never  dis- 
cernible among  them.  They  use  tobacco,  but  do  not 
chew  or  smoke  it ;  simply  keeping  it  between  the  lips, 
for  appeasing  hunger  and  keeping  their  teeth  clean. 
Altogether,  a  more  orderly  and  peaceably -disposed 
people  can  scarcely  be  found  anywhere. 

Such  was  the  account  which  Kallolo  gave  of  his 
nation.  Allowances  must,  of  course,  be  made ;  but 
still,  from  the  specimens  we  saw,  I  am  inclined  to 
think  that  it  was  in  the  main  correct. 

Uncle  Paul  was  unwilling  to  delay  any  longer,  and 
asked  Maco  if  he  was  ready  to  proceed.  As  Kallolo 
and   Polo   agreed   to   assist   him,    he   replied   that   he 


AGAIN  IN  PURSUIT.  247 

would  do  his  best  to  get  along,  though  he  still  felt 
very  weak.  "  We  will  wait  a  little  longer,  then," 
said  Uncle  Paul  ;  and  we  resumed  our  resting-place 
on  the  roots  of  the  tree.  Of  such  enormous  size  were 
they,  that  we  could  all  find  accommodation  with- 
out any  danger  of  slipping  off.  I  got  into  a  hol- 
low of  the  roots,  where  I  could  rest  with  perfect  ease 
with  my  legs  stretched  out ;  and  Uncle  Paul  found  a 
place  of  similar  character  close  by  me.  He  would,  1 
believe,  have  given  the  final  order  to  proceed  much 
sooner,  but,  overcome  with  fatigue,  he  fell,  as  I  did, 
fast  asleep. 

I  was  awakened  by  hearing  Kallolo's  voice  crying 
out,  "  They  are  coming ! — they  are  coming !  We 
must  go  on  !  "  Opening  my  eyes,  I  saw  that  it  was 
already  daylight.  Uncle  Paul  immediately  started  up. 
I  was  struck  by  his  perfect  presence  of  mind,  though 
an  instant  before  he  had  been  fast  asleep.  He,  as  it 
were,  in  a  moment  gathered  his  wits  about  him,  and 
inquired  from  what  direction  the  savages  were  coming, 
and  how  far  off  they  were. 

Kallolo  pointed  to  the  east.  "  They  cannot  be  here 
for  three  or  four  minutes,  at  least,"  he  answered. 

"  Then,  my  friends,  we  will  continue  our  course. 
We  shall  soon  be  at  a  distance  from  them.  They 
have  shown  that  they  have  no  inclination  to  follow 
us  in  the  water." 

As  Uncle  Paul  spoke,  I  looked  around,  and   found 


248  SWIMMING  FOR  LIFE. 

that  Tim  and  Sambo  were  not  with  us.  They  had 
gone  to  a  little  distance  in  the  wood,  to  gather  some 
fruit  which  they  had  seen  hanging  temptingly  within 
their  reach. 

"I  have  called  them,  and  they  are  coming  back," 
said  Kallolo.      "  It  will  not  be  wise  to  wait  for  them." 

Uncle  Paul  agreed  with  him,  and  ordered  him  to 
lead  the  way.  We  lost  no  time  in  slipping  into  the 
water.  Kallolo  did  as  he  was  directed,  and  led  the 
way ;  Uncle  Paul  followed  ;  I  went  close  astern  of 
liim  ;  and  the  Indians  came  next.  We  had  not  gone 
far  when,  looking  round,  to  my  satisfaction  I  saw  Tim 
leaping  ofl'  the  root  into  the  water,  with  Sambo  close 
to  him.  They  both  struck  out  with  all  their  might, 
and  were  soon  up  to  us.  Several  times  I  turned  my 
head,  fully  expecting  to  see  the  savages.  On  we 
swam,  however  ;  and  still  they  did  not  appear.  It  then 
occurred  to  me  that  they  might  be  making  their  way, 
as  they  had  before  done,  either  among  the  branches  of 
the  trees,  or  low  down,  amid  the  underwood  and  over 
the  fallen  logs ;  and  I  could  not  help  feeling  that 
every  instant  they  would  appear  close  to  us,  and 
attempt  to  stop  our  progress.  Had  we  possessed  fire- 
arms, and  the  means  of  preserving  them  fit  for  service, 
we  might  easily  have  kept  the  savages  at  bay,  or  have 
driven  them  back  ;  but  now,  notwithstandino^  all  our 
boasted  civilization,  we  were  completely  on  a  level 
with   them,   and    were   utterly   unable  to  defend  our- 


AN      ALARM, 


"  VERY  LIKE  A  FISH.  2.'.! 

selves  should  they  choose  to  attack  us.  Uncle  Paul 
possibly  thought  just  as  I  did  ;  but  not  wishing  to 
increase  our  fear  by  showing  any  himself,  he  continued 
to  cheer  us  up. 

I  felt  greatly  strengthened  by  our  long  rest,  and 
much  better  able  to  proceed  than  I  was  at  first  ;  as,  I 
believe,  were  the  rest  of  the  party.  I  heard  Tim 
joking  with  Sambo.  "  Arrah  now,  sure,  I  am  alto- 
gether turned  into  a  big  fish  with  this  long  swim,  and 
it  will  be  a  hard  matter  to  take  to  walking  again  on 
the  dry  earth  !  '  he  exclaimed.  "  How  do  you  feel. 
Sambo  ?  " 

"  I  verry  like  a  fish  too,  Massa  Tim,"  answered  the 
black.      "  But  still  I  hope  to  turn  into  man  again." 

I  felt  much  as  Sambo  said  he  did,  and  certainly 
should  have  been  well  content  to  find  myself  safe  on 
shore,  and  in  a  comfortable  abode — a  luxury  we  were 
not  likely  to  enjoy  for  many  a  day  to  come. 

As  on  the  previous  day,  with  the  bright  sun  shining 
down  upon  us,  I  felt  my  spirits  rise,  and  the  dangers 
I  had  so  dreaded  in  the  dark  appeared  of  a  less  terrific 
character.  After  all,  should  the  savages  come  up 
with  us,  as  Maco  and  his  brother  had  escaped  from 
them,  so  might  we.  Perhaps,  too,  they  might  not  be 
quite  so  savage  as  we  had  supposed,  and  might  have 
been  prompted  by  curiosity,  rather  than  from  any 
hostile  feelings,  to  pursue  us.  Still,  of  course,  it 
would  be  prudent  to  keep  out  of  their  way.      Uncle 


252  A  HALT  FOR  REFRESHMENT. 

Paul  thought  so  too,  and  told  me  to  pass  the  word  to 
those  astern,  that  we  must  be  prepared  to  swim  on 
till  we  could  come  up  with  Marian  and  my  father  and 
Arthur.  On,  therefore,  we  went.  It  was  swim,  swim, 
swim,  hour  after  hour.  Of  course,  had  we  not  had 
the  gourds  to  support  us,  it  would  have  been  impos- 
sible to  continue  on  so  lono^  as  we  did.  Restino^  on 
them,  there  was  no  great  difficulty,  as  we  could  drive 
ourselves  on  with  our  feet,  while  we  merely  guided 
our  course  with  our  arms.  Still,  even  though  thus  sup- 
ported, and  without  any  actual  danger  of  sinking, 
we  at  length  again  grew  weary  ;  and,  in  addition,  we 
began  to  feel  the  pangs  of  hunger. 

Tim  was  the  first  to  cry  out.  "  Arrah,  Master  Guy! 
couldn't  you  just  speak  to  Mr.  Paul,  and  tell  him  we 
are  starving  ?  If  it's  all  the  same  to  him,  we  will 
just  put  ashore  on  one  of  the  big  trunks  and  stow 
away  a  little  food  in  our  insides ;  for  though  it's 
something  like  the  life  of  fishes  we  are  leading,  we 
cannot  eat,  as  they  do,  in  the  water." 

I  told  Uncle  Paul  what  Tim  said  ;  and  we  accord- 
ingly once  more  climbed  on  to  a  convenient  resting- 
place,  where  food  was  served  out  to  all  hands. 


CHAPTER  XL 

WHERE  ARE  QUACKO  ANDARA?— THE  SWIM  CONTINUED— ESCAPE  FROM  AN  ALLI- 
GATOR—  MARIAN  AND  MY  FATHER — REACH  A  LAKE — A  CURIOUS  SAIL- 
FISHING. 

'E  had  been  resting  for  some  time,  and  now- 
felt  able  to  keep  on  swimming  for  many 
miles  without  stopping.  We  were  in  toler- 
able spirits,  having  every  reason  to  believe 
that  we  should  see  no  more  of  the  savages. 
We  hoped,  too,  that  the  next  would  be  our  last  stage, 
and  that  at  the  end  of  it  we  should  find  Marian,  with 
my  father  and  Arthur,  safe  on  the  raft.  Uncle  Paul 
then  proposed  to  construct  an  additional  raft  to  carry 
the  wdiole  party. 

We  had  finished  our  meal,  when  Kallolo  exclaimed, 
w^th  an  expression  of  grief  on  his  countenance,  *'  Oh  ! 
where  is  Quacko  ?  Cruel,  indeed,  have  I  been  to 
leave  him  behind ;  but  my  thoughts  w^ere  so  en- 
o-acred  with  the  dans^ers  which  threatened  us,  that 
for  the  moment  I  forgot  all  about  him.  I  must  go 
back  and  find  the  affectionate  ape.  Even  though 
he.  may    obtain    subsistence    in    the    forest,    he    will 


254  QUACKO  LEFT  BEHIND. 

pine  and  die  when  he  finds  himself  deserted  by  his 
friends." 

"  Stay,  stay,  my  friend,"  said  Uncle  Paul.  "  Much 
as  I  esteem  your  regard  for  the  poor  ape,  and  his  ex- 
traordinary attachment  to  you,  I  would  not  have  you 
risk  your  safety  by  attempting  to  recover  him.  The 
lives  of  all  the  party  are  of  far  more  importance  than 
that  of  the  ape  ;  and  for  your  own  sake  as  well  as 
ours  I  must  prohibit  your  going." 

Kallolo  looked  very  unhappy  on  hearing  this.  "  I 
shall  run  little  or  no  risk,  Senor  Paul,"  he  answered ; 
"  and,  besides,  Maco  and  Polo  are  as  able  to  guide 
you  as  I  am.  I  cannot  bear  the  thought  of  losing 
my  friend  through  my  own  negligence." 

Of  course,  it  will  be  understood  that  I  am  merely 
translating  what  the  Indian  said,  or  rather  giving  the 
meaning  of  his  words. 

Still,  Uncle  Paul  was  firm.  ''  I  cannot  reconcile  it 
to  my  conscience  to  allow  you  to  go;  and  I  should  be 
unable  to  forgive  myself  should  any  accident  happen 
to  you,"  he  answered. 

I  also  felt  very  sorry  that  Quacko  was  lost ;  but 
the  anxiety  about  our  own  safety  accounted  fully  for 
our  having  forgotten  him. 

"  Sure,  now,  I  have  been  after  forgetting  Ara ! " 
exclaimed  Tim.  "  I  left  the  poor  bird  on  a  branch 
fast  asleep  when  those  bastes  of  Indians  sent  us  off 
into  the  water  in  such  a  hurry,  and  never  a  bit  did  I 


OUR  PETS  RETURN.  2;'5 

think  of  her  till  now.  I  am  just  as  bad  as  you  are, 
Kallolo  ;  for,  sure,  hadn't  I  charge  of  the  bird,  till  she 
flew  out  of  my  thoughts  altogether  ?  " 

"  At  all  events,  here  she  comes  back  to  us  again  I  " 
I  exclaimed. 

At  that  moment  Ara  was  seen  approaching  with 
rapid  flight ;  and  in  an  instant  afterwards  she  perched 
on  Tim's  shoulder,  and  looking  into  his  face,  seemed, 
by  the  peculiar  sounds  she  made,  to  be  chiding  him 
for  his  desertion.  When  he  oflered  her  some  fruit, 
she  declined  to  take  it;  evidently,  however,  not  from 
anger,  but  because  she  had  had  an  ample  breakfast 
on  something  more  to  her  taste  which  she  had  found 
on  the  way. 

Only  a  few  minutes  had  passed,  when  I  saw  Maco 
and  Kallolo  looking  anxiously  through  the  trees  to 
the  eastward,  and  talking  together,  having  caught 
sight  of  some  object  moving  through  the  forest. 
From  the  few  words  I  overheard,  they  were  express- 
ing their  fears  that  the  savages  had  again  found  us  out. 
Suddenly  their  countenances  brightened  ;  and  immedi- 
ately afterwards  we  observed  Quacko  swinging  him- 
self amid  the  pendent  vines,  and  running  along  the 
branches,  making  his  way  rapidly  towards  us  !  He 
sprang  into  Kallolo' s  arms,  and  began  to  chatter 
eagerly,  as  if  he  had  had  a  great  deal  to  communi- 
cate. Whether  he  was  telling  the  native  about  the 
savages,  or  complaining  that  he  had  been  deserted,  and 


256  STRANGE  SENSATIONS. 

begging  that  it  might  not  happen  again,  I  could  not 
ascertain,  nor  did  Kallolo  think  fit  to  enlighten  us  ; 
but  he  looked  truly  delighted  at  having  got  back  his 
friend. 

Uncle  Paul  now  gave  the  signal  to  start.  Maco  and 
Sambo  led  the  way,  as  they  had  only  lately  passed 
down  the  channel,  and  were  better  acquainted  with  it 
than  Kallolo,  who  brought  up  the  rear.  As  before, 
my  sensations  were  those  of  a  person  swimming  in  a 
dream.  I  felt  myself  floating  through  the  smooth, 
dark  w^aters,  and  striking  out  with  my  arms  and  legs, 
and  moving  onwards.  I  saw  my  uncle  ahead  ;  and  the 
green  trees,  with  their  vast  stems  and  intricate  tracery 
of  sepos  and  vines,  with  numberless  parasites  hanging 
from  them  of  every  variety  of  fantastic  form,  on  either 
side  of  me  ;  and  the  bright  blue  sky  overhead  ;  and 
birds  of  gorgeous  plumage,  uttering  strange  notes,  flying 
backwards  and  forwards.  Here  and  there,  tall  trunks 
had  fallen  prostrate,  or  were  inclining  at  various  angles, 
and  suspended  by  a  net- work  of  sepos  to  the  boughs  of 
their  neighbours, — some  actually  crossing  the  stream 
and  forming  bridges  from  side  to  side.  Occasionally, 
troops  of  monkeys  came  gambolling  along  among  the 
branches,  peering  down  upon  us  with  curious  eyes,  skip- 
ping and  frolicking  about,  and  chattering  and  screech- 
ing as  if  angrily  demanding  what  business  we  had  to 
intrude  on  their  retreats.  Now  we  j^^ssed  among 
cylindrical  trunks,  rising  like  columns  out  of  the  deep 


MAGNIFICENT  VEGETATION.  257 

water.  Then  there  came  a  splash  of  fruit  falling 
around  us,  announcinoj  that  birds  were  feedingf  over- 
head  ;  and  looking  up,  we  discovered  flocks  of  parra- 
keets,  or  bright  blue  chatterers,  or  pompadours  having 
delicate  white  wings  and  claret -coloured  plumage. 
Again,  with  a  whir  a  trogon  on  the  wing  would  seize 
some  fruit,  or  a  clumsy  toucan  would  make  the 
branches  shake  as  he  alighted  above  our  heads.  We 
saw  several  species  of  trogons,  and  frequently  caught 
sight  of  that  curious  black  umbrella-bird  which  I  have 
before  described.  Clumps  of  the  light  and  exquisitely 
graceful  assai  palm  shot  up  everywhere.  Here  and  there 
the  drooping  bamboos  dipped  their  feathery  branches 
into  the  water,  frequently  covered  to  their  very  tops 
with  purple  convolvuli ;  yellow  bignonias  carried  their 
golden  clusters  to  the  very  summit  of  the  more  lofty 
trees  ;  while  white  flowering  myrtles  and  orange- 
coloured  mallows  bordered  the  channel.  Crabs  of 
every  variety  of  colour  and  size  sat  on  decaying  logs 
watching  for  their  prey.  No  sooner,  however,  did  we 
attempt  to  seize  them  than  they  made  ofi*  with  nimble 
feet. 

I  saw  all  these  sights  and  many  more,  and  yet,  as 
I  have  said,  I  gazed  on  them  as  in  a  dream,  while 
with  my  companions  I  floated  on  and  on  through  the 
silent  water.  When  the  sun's  rays  struck  down  on 
the  surface  of  the  river,  it  appeared  bright  and  clear, 
and  our  eyes  could  frequently  penetrate  to  the  very 

(540)  17 


258  UNPLEASANT  THOUGHTS. 

bottom  even  where  it  was  too  deep  to  allow  us  to 
wade  ;  but  in  other  places,  where  overhung  by  the 
thick  foliage,  or  after  the  sun  had  sunk  behind  the  tall 
trees,  it  was  as  black  as  ink  ;  and  I  could  not  help 
feeling  a  sensation  of  dread  lest  some  ravenous  monster 
was  lurking  beneath,  ready  to  seize  us  as  we  passed  by. 
1  refrained  from  expressing  my  fears,  as  they  did  not 
appear  to  be  entertained  by  the  rest  of  the  party. 
Perhaps  they  too  felt  as  I  did,  but  thought  it  better  to 
say  nothing  about  the  matter,  as  the  journey  had  to 
be  performed,  and  there  was  no  other  way  of  accom- 
])lishing  it. 

We  began  to  feel  anxious  at  not  having  come  up 
with  our  friends  ahead,  and  were  eagerly  looking  out 
for  them.  Sambo  assured  us  that  we  were  not  far 
from  the  spot  where  he  had  left  the  raft.  As  he  and 
Tim  swam  faster  than  any  of  us — except  Kallolo,  who, 
carrying  the  monkey,  was  somewhat  impeded  in  his 
progress — Uncle  Paul  directed  them  to  push  on  ahead 
to  tell  our  friends  that  we  were  coming.  Maco  and 
Polo  would  probably  have  been  employed  for  the 
service  ;  but  the  former,  on  account  of  his  wounds,  could 
only  just  manage  to  keep  up  with  us  ;  and  the  latter  . 
was  required  to  remain,  that  he  might  render  him 
assistance  should  it  become  necessary. 

Evening  was  approaching,  and  I  began  to  feel  that 
I  should  be  unable  much  longer  to  continue  this  sort 
of  work,  and  wished  more  earnestly  than  ever  that  I 


APPROACH  OF  EVENING.  259 

were  once  more  safe  on  the  raft.  I  suspect  that  Uncle 
Paul  felt  much  as  I  did,  though  with  that  courage 
which  distinguished  him  he  made  no  complaint,  but 
continued  striking  out  as  if  it  were  his  usual  mode  of 
progression.  Not  unfrequently  thoughts  as  to  what 
might  have  been  the  fate  of  those  I  loved  more  than 
any  others  on  earth  would  occur  to  me,  especially  when 
I  felt  exhausted  by  my  exertions  ;  but  I  endeavoured 
to  banish  them  from  my  mind,  and  answered  Uncle 
Paul's  inquiries  with  as  hearty  an  ''All  right"  as  I 
could  utter. 

The  day  wore  on.  In  some  of  the  bends  of  the 
river  dark  shadows  had  already  begun  to  fall  on  the 
water  and  to  mount  up  the  trunks  of  the  trees.  The 
channel,  or  igarape,  as  such  passages  are  called  in  some 
parts  of  the  country,  became  narrower  than  ever.  No 
current  v/as  perceptible  :  the  lilies  and  other  beautiful 
water-plants,  little  bladderworts,  and  bright  blue 
flowers  with  curious  leaves  and  swollen  stalks,  floated 
unmoved  on  the  surface,  with  occasionally  large  circu- 
lar leaves  and  flowers  of  a  gigantic  size,  which  were 
new  to  all  of  us  when  we  first  entered  this  region. 

Tim  and  Sambo  had  long  ago  got  out  of  sight,  and 
we  hoped  that  ere  this  the}^  had  reached  our  friends. 
As  we  entered  another  bend  of  the  channel,  I  cauffht 
sight  of  some  figures  in  the  far  distance  standing  on 
one  of  those  gigantic  trunks  I  have  so  often  mentioned. 
My  first  idea  was   that   they  were   Indians,   perhaps 


260  OUR  FRIENDS  AT  HAND. 

waiting  to  cut  us  off,  and  I  asked  Uncle  Paul  if  he 
could  see  them. 

"  Yes,  yes  ;  I  am  thankful  to  say  I  do,"  he  an- 
swered. "  They  are  your  father  and  Arthur  and  dear 
Marian ;  but  why  they  are  not  on  the  raft  I  cannot 
tell." 

The  sight  encouraged  us,  and,  our  strength  restored, 
we  struck  out  with  renewed  vigour.  It  was  now 
literally  a  race  among  us  all  who  should  get  there 
first.  Uncle  Paul  beat  me  ;  and  when  I  was  still 
some  distance  off,  I  saw  him  scrambling  up  and  shak- 
ing hands  with  all  the  party.  Even  Maco  and  Polo 
passed  me,  and  I  saw  them  make  their  way  up  the 
trunk  of  a  tree  which  had  fallen  across  the  one  on 
which  the  rest  of  the  party  were  seated.  As  they 
reached  the  upper  part,  they  eagerly  looked  up  the 
channel.  Anxious  as  I  was  to  go  ahead,  I  felt  as  if 
my  arms  and  legs  were  so  heavily  weighted  that  I 
could  only  move  them  with  a  sensation  I  had  some- 
times experienced  in  my  dreams  when  trying  to  over- 
take a  person  with  whom  I  desired  to  communicate, 
or  when  pursued  by  some  wild  beast  from  which  I  was 
endeavouring  to  escape. 

My  father  and  Marian  were  standing  up  ;  Arthur 
was  lying  on  the  trunk  of  the  tree ;  and  Uncle  Paul 
was  sitting  down  with  his  feet  just  above  the  water. 
Suddenly  he  started  up,  and  cried  out,  "  Quick,  quick, 
Guy ;  strike  out  for  your  life  !  "      I  did  my  best,  for 


A  NARROW  ESCAPE.  261 

I  knew  he  had  good  reason  for  bidding  me  haste. 
Just  as  I  reached  the  bank,  looking  back  for  an 
instant,  I  saw  a  dark  object  rise  to  the  surface,  and 
presently  a  long  pair  of  jaws,  with  formidable  rows  of 
teeth,  opened  slowly  !  I  sprang  up,  knowing  at  once 
that  it  was  an  alligator,  and  though  one  of  moderate 
size,  large  enough  to  have  given  an  ugly  bite,  even  if 
it  could  not  snap  off  a  limb  or  carry  its  victim  down 
to  the  bottom.  Uncle  Paul  stretched  out  his  arms  ; 
and  Arthur,  who  had  not  till  then  seen  my  danger, 
stooped  down  to  assist  me.  I  had  scarcely  time  to 
receive  my  father's  and  Marian's  embraces  before  I 
sank  almost  fainting  by  the  side  of  Arthur  on  the 
trunk  of  the  tree. 

I  saw,  however,  that  they  were  still  looking  anx- 
iously down  the  channel  towards  Kallolo,  who  had 
been  some  way  behind  me  with  Quacko  on  his  back. 
They  shouted  to  him,  and  pointed  out  the  creature, 
whose  wicked  eye  was  turned  towards  the  monkey ; 
and  he  would  very  speedily  have  crunched  him  up  in 
his  jaws  if  he  had  not  held  tight  hold  of  the  Indian. 
Kallolo,  nothing  daunted,  cast  a  glance  at  the  amphibi- 
ous animal,  and  instead  of  continuing  his  course,  struck 
across  the  stream,  drawing,  as  he  did  so,  his  long 
knife  from  his  belt,  ready  to  defend  himself  and  his 
favourite  should  he  be  attacked.  The  shouts  of  my 
friends  frightened  the  creature ;  wdiich,  instead  of 
darting  at  Kallolo,  as  they  expected  it  would,  dived 


262  KALLOLO'S  FEARLESSNESS. 

beneath  the  surface,  probably  to  seek  for  shelter  under 
the  bank  or  to  escape  to  a  distance.  Kallolo  quickly- 
gamed  a  fallen  stem,  and  made  his  way  up  to  us. 

"What  has  become  of  Tim  and  Sambo?"  I  asked 
faintly ;  for  though  too  weak  to  stand,  I  had  not  lost 
consciousness. 

"  They  have  gone  on  ahead  to  the  raft,  which  is 
only  a  little  distance  off,"  answered  Arthur ;  "  and  we 
are  now  looking  out  for  their  return.  So  fatigued 
were  your  father  and  I,  that,  when  we  reached  this 
convenient  resting-place,  we  determined  to  remain 
here  till  your  arrival.  We  have,  indeed,  cause  to  be 
thankful  that  we  did  not  attempt  to  go  further,  "now 
that  we  have  seen  the  creatures  which  inhabit  this 
part  of  the  channel.  Had  we  known  it  before,  the 
fact  would  have  tended  to  unnerve  us." 

"  I  am  indeed  thankful  that  I  did  not  know  it," 
said  Marian  ;  "  for  I  should  have  been  miserable  with 
the  thought  that  at  any  moment  my  father  or  Arthur 
might  have  been  attacked  by  one  of  the  monsters." 

Kallolo  took  the  matter  very  coolly.  ''  If  the 
cayman  had  come  near  me,  he  would  have  had  to 
repent  of  his  boldness,"  he  observed.  "  My  knife  was 
ready  for  him,  and  I  should  have  stuck  it  into  his 
throat  before  he  could  have  touched  me.  I  should  not 
fear  to  encounter  a  much  larger  one,  provided  I  knew 
that  he  was  approaching.  These  creatures  are  danger- 
ous only  when  people  are  unprepared  to  meet  them." 


THE  RAFT  APPEARS.  263 

"  But  as  I  had  no  knife  ready,  and  should  not  have 
known  where  or  how  to  strike  him,  I  am  very  thank- 
ful that  I  got  out  of  the  water  in  time  to  avoid  his 
sharp  teeth,"  I  observed. 

Marian  shuddered.  ''Yes,  indeed,  it  was  dreadful 
even  for  the  few  moments  in  which  I  thought  there 
was  danger,"  she  observed.  ''  Oh,  I  am  so  thankful 
that  when  my  father  and  Arthur  were  swimming  by 
the  side  of  my  raft ;  they  were  not  attacked  by  the 
monster." 

"  We  indeed  ran  a  great  risk,"  observed  my  father. 
"  Probably  the  creature  was  frightened  by  the  splash- 
ing we  made  in  the  water,  and  by  the  appearance  of 
the  raft ;  or  possibly  it  may  not  have  been  in  the 
neighbourhood  at  the  time." 

"  I  suspect  that  it  was  not  far  off,"  observed  Uncle 
Paul.  "  These  creatures  do  not  move  much  about ; 
they  frequent  .particular  pools  and  parts  of  the  river. 
However,  its  appearance  must  make  us  cautious  how 
we  venture  into  the  water  in  future.  We  may  be 
well  satisfied  that  our  long  swim  is  over. — Do  you 
see  anything  of  Sambo  and  Tim  with  the  raft  ?  "  he 
shouted  to  the  Indians,  who  were  still  looking  out. 

"  Yes,  yes  ;  they  have  this  moment  come  in  sight, 
and  are  standing  on  the  raft  poling  it  along, — so  it 
seems  to  me,"  answered  Maco,  pointing  along  the 
igarape,  down  which  a  stream  of  light  came  from  the 
settincr  sun,   tinging   here    and   there   the   boughs   on 


264  THE  WONDEES  OF  NATURE. 

either  side,  and  gilding  the  summits  of  the  lofty  trees. 
No  scene  of  the  same  character  could  have  surpassed 
it  in  beauty. 

"  It  is  indeed  lovely,"  exclaimed  Marian.  "  Till 
we  came  here,  perhaps  the  eyes  of  those  capable  of 
appreciating  its  beauties  have  never  gazed  on  it.  It 
seems  strange  that  so  many  lovely  spots,  such  as  exist 
in  these  wilds,  should  be  concealed  from  the  eyes  of 
civilized  people." 

"  Many  things  exist  for  which  we  cannot  account," 
observed  Uncle  Paul.  "  Birds  of  the  most  gorgeous 
plumage  are  found  in  parts  of  the  globe  inhabited  only 
by  the  lowest  savages.  Nothing  can  surpass  the  mag- 
nificence of  the  icebergs  clustered  at  the  arctic  and 
the  antarctic  poles,  where  the  feet  of  human  beings 
never  tread.  What  curious  coloured  fish  swim  far 
down  beneath  the  surface,  where  the  eye  of  man  can- 
not penetrate  !  Indeed,  we  may  believe  that  civilized 
men  are  not  the  only  beings  capable  of  enjoying  the 
beauties  of  creation ;  which  all,  however,  tend,  when 
brought  to  light,  to  exhibit  the  power  and  beneficence 
of  the  Creator." 

Arthur  listened  attentivel}^  to  what  Uncle  Paul  was 
saying.  "  Yes,  indeed,  I  agree  with  3^ou,"  he  observed. 
"  There  are  numberless  things  which  we  see  around  us 
in  nature,  but  cannot  comprehend  the  reason  of  their 
existence,  though  we  must  acknowledge  the  wisdom  of 
Him  who  made  them  all,  and  bow  humbly  to  his  will." 


A  SEARCH  FOR  FRUIT.  265 

Our  attention  was  now  turned  towards  the  ap- 
proaching raft.  While  it  was  coming,  Uncle  Paul 
inquired  what  provisions  we  had  among  us  ;  and  we 
found,  on  examination,  that  the  stock  was  very  limited, 
and  that  the  fruit  had  come  to  an  end.  While  there 
was  still  light,  therefore,  he  sent  the  Indians  to  search 
for  some  more.  We  saw,  not  far  off,  several  palms  and 
other  fruit-hearing  trees  with  birds  perched  on  them, 
showing  that  the  fruit  was  ripe.  Both  Arthur  and  I 
were  desirous  to  accompany  them,  but  we  felt  much 
too  weary  to  move. 

"  You  must  take  care  not  to  get  into  the  midst  of 
the  macaws'  nests,  else  you  may  find  yourselves  at- 
tacked as  we  were,"  observed  Arthur.  "I  see  a 
number  of  those  birds  congregated  about  a  tree  in  the 
distance,  and  possibly  they  have  their  homes  there- 
about ;  at  all  events,  they  may  not  like  to  be  disturbed 
in  their  feast,  and  will  do  battle  with  the  intruders." 

''  Never  fear,"  answered  Uncle  Paul  ;  "  the  Indians 
know  pretty  well  what  they  are  about." 

We  had  not  long  to  wait  for  Sambo  and  Tim,  who 
managed  to  bring  the  raft  close  up  to  us.  It  was, 
however,  so  late  in  the  day  that  Uncle  Paul  con- 
sidered it  best  for  us  to  remain  where  we  were  till 
the  following  morning,  when  he  proposed  that  we 
should  build  another  raft  capable  of  carrying  all  the 
party  who  could  not  find  room  on  the  first.  As  we 
had  no  tools  excepting  our  knives,   the  operation  of 


266  ANOTHER  RAFT  COMMENCED. 

cutting  down  the  trees  would  not  be  an  easy  one  ; 
therefore  Tim  offered  to  commence  at  once,  so  that 
we  might  have  some  progress  made  before  morning. 
Uncle  Paul  thanked  him  for  his  forethought.  Sambo, 
aided  by  Kallolo,  immediately  set  to  work  to  break 
off  by  main  force  as  many  young  palm-trees  as  they 
could  meet  with.  Neither  Arthur  nor  I  felt  that  we 
had  strength  to  assist  them.  Indeed,  we  could  do 
nothing  but  lie  stretched  on  the  trunk  of  the  tree  ; 
and  had  the  Indians  come  in  pursuit  of  us,  I  really 
believe  that  we  should  have  been  unable  to  make  an}^ 
efforts  to  escape.  My  father^  also,  was  greatly  ex- 
hausted ;  but  Uncle  Paul,  though  fatigued,  was  still 
able  to  exert  himself,  and  to  give  any  directions  which 
were  necessary. 

At  length  the  two  Indians  returned  with  an  ample 
supply  of  fruit.  We  enjoyed  our  supper.  It  was  the 
first  we  had  taken  together  for  several  days.  When 
it  was  over  it  was  high  time  to  secure  sleeping-places 
before  the  shades  of  night  should  come  down  upon  us. 
By  arranging  some  sepos  which  hung  down  from  the 
boughs  above,  we  formed  a  secure  place  for  Marian  ; 
and  then  we  looked  out  for  similar  places  for  ourselves, 
where  we  might  rest  without  the  danger  of  falling  off 
into  the  water  :  and  I  could  not  help  reflecting  that 
if  we  should  meet  with  such  an  accident,  the  creature 
we  had  seen  would  take  the  opportunity  of  biting  off 
a  foot  or  an  arm,  or  of  dragging  us  off  to  his  den  to 


A  STRANGE  RESTING-PLACE.  267 

devour  us  at  his  leisure.  I  had  read  of  people  sleeping 
over  volcanoes  :  our  fate  would  have  been  quite  as  un- 
pleasant, had  we  fallen  into  the  water,  as  that  of  persons 
found  napping  at  the  moment  a  volcano  commenced 
sending  forth  its  streams  of  lava  or  showers  of  ashes. 

Though  we  believed  that  we  were  already  at  a  safe 
distance  from  the  savages,  Uncle  Paul  considered  it 
prudent  to  set  a  watch,  that  we  might  have  due 
notice  of  the  approach  of  danger.  Arthur  and  I 
begged  that  we  might  take  our  share  of  duty,  with 
one  of  the  men  to  assist  us.  Uncle  Paul  himself  in- 
tended to  keep  the  first  watch,  to  give  me  time  to 
obtain  some  rest,  I  did  not  sleep  very  soundly. 
Frequently  I  opened  my  eyes  and  saw  the  tall  figure 
of  Uncle  Paul  pacing  up  and  down  on  the  trunk  of 
the  tree>  with  a  pole  in  his  hand  to  balance  himself, 
making  only  three  or  four  paces  between  each  turn, 
stopping  every  now  and  then  to  look  up  and  down 
the  channel,  or  to  peer  into  the  forest.  While  he 
was  on  the  watch,  I  was  sure  that  we  should  have 
timely  warning  of  danger.  At  length  his  figure 
seemed  to  extend  into  gigantic  proportions,  and  then 
grew  more  and  more  indistinct,  till  my  eyes  closed. 

Arthur  at  last  awoke  me.  He  had  had  his  watch, 
and  it  was  now  time  for  me  to  take  mine  ;  but  he 
warned  me  to  be  careful  not  to  slip  off"  the  trunk,  as 
he  had  nearly  done,  he  said.  I  got  up  and  took  the 
pole  he  gave  me.      At  one   end  was   a   sharp  point. 


268  MY  NIGHT-WATCH. 

which  would  serve  to  give  an  effectual  thrust  to  any 
wild  beast,  or  to  a  human  savage  who  might  attack 
us.  There  was  not  much  probability  of  our  being- 
assailed  either  by  a  jaguar  or  a  puma,  as  these  creatures 
were  not  likely  to  make  their  w^ay  across  the  water 
intervening  between  us  and  the  dry  land  ;  but  we  were 
not  safe  from  the  stealthy  approach  of  an  anaconda, 
though  we  had  seen  no  signs  of  such  a  creature  since 
we  had  left  the  broad  river.  I  could  not,  however, 
get  out  of  my  head  the  recollection  of  the  monster 
which  had  attacked  us  ;  and  very  often,  as  I  looked  up 
and  down  the  channel,  I  fancied  that  I  saw  one  of  the 
creatures  swimming  towards  us,  with  its  head  above 
the  surface.  Greatly  to  my  relief,  on  each  occasion 
the  object  I  had  caught  sight  of  resolved  itself  into 
the  partly  submerged  root  or  branch  of  a  tree. 

Very  thankful  I  felt  when  at  last  the  streaks  of 
early  dawn  appeared  in  the  eastern  sky,  and  the  noises 
of  animated  nature  again  burst  on  my  ear.  Parrots  and 
macaws,  and  numberless  other  birds,  beo^an  to  utter 
their  varied  notes,  and  the  sounds  I  have  before  de- 
scribed echoed  through  the  forest.  I  called  up  my 
companions,  and,  without  a  moment's  delay,  all  hands 
set  to  work  to  put  together  the  raft  for  which  we  had 
collected  part  of  the  materials  the  previous  evening. 
More  were  required  ;  and  while  the  Indians  and  Tim 
went  into  the  forest  to  cut  or  break  down  the  palms, 
Uncle  Paul,  assisted  by  Sambo,  bound  them  together. 


BUILDING  THE  RAFT.  2G9 

Arthur  and  I  employed  ourselves  in  dragging  the  logs 
up  to  them,  and  in  cutting  the  lianas  or  sepos,  which 
my  father  and  Marian  unwound  and  prepared  for  use 
as  cordage.  The  task  was  a  far  more  difficult  one 
than  it  would  have  been  had  we  possessed  axes.  Our 
knives  served  only  to  cut  off  the  smaller  boughs,  and 
slightly  to  trim  the  logs  or  cut  the  lianas. 

We  worked  away  with  so  much  energy,  that  by 
eight  o'clock,  as  far  as  we  could  judge  from  the  sun, 
we  had  put  a  raft  together  capable  of  carrying  six 
persons.  Pretty  well  tired  by  our  exertions,  and 
with  good  appetites,  we  sat  down  on  the  huge  trunk 
to  breakfast.  The  heat  of  the  sun  was  already  great ; 
but_,  shaded  by  the  overhanging  branches,  the  spot  we 
occupied  felt  delightfully  cool,  while  the  bunches  of 
fruit  the  Indians  had  procured  were  most  refreshing. 
At  this  meal  we  finished  the  last  of  the  dried  fish  and 
meat  we  had  brought  with  us,  and  we  had  hence- 
forward to  depend  on  the  birds  or  animals  we  might 
trap  or  shoot  in  the  forest,  or  the  fish  we  might  obtain 
from  the  water.  We  had,  however,  no  fear  of  starv- 
ing. Kallolo  assured  us  that  we  should  find  turtle  in 
abundance ;  and  that,  with  the  blow-pipe  he  had  under- 
taken to  form,  he  should  be  able  to  kill  as  many  birds 
and  monkeys  as  we  might  require;  while  the  produce 
of  many  varieties  of  palm-trees  and  the  difierent  fruits 
we  were  sure  to  discover  would  afibrd  us  an  abundant 
supply  of  vegetable  diet. 


270  THE  RAFT  COMPLETEP. 

Our  final  task  was  to  cut  some  long  poles,  and  to  split 
up  into  thin  boards,  by  means  of  wedges,  a  portion  of 
a  branch  which  had  been  torn  off  by  a  storm.  These 
boards  were  secured  to  the  ends  of  short  poles,  and 
thus  formed  as  many  rough  paddles  as.  we  could  use. 

All  was  now  ready,  and  Uncle  Paul  gave  the  order 
to  prepare  for  departure.  The  smaller  raft  was  first 
drawn  under  the  bough  :  Marian  was  placed  on  it  as 
a  passenger.  Uncle  Paul  went  as  captain.  Sambo  as 
pilot,  and  Arthur  and  I  as  the  crew.  Our  father  con- 
sented to  go  on  the  newly-constructed  raft,  which  was 
navigated  by  the  three  Indians  and  Tim,  On  board 
Neither  of  them  was  there  much  room  to  spare  ;  and 
considerable  caution  was  necessary,  when  standing  up, 
to  avoid  falling  off  into  the  water  or  upsetting  it. 

All  of  us  having  taken  our  places.  Uncle  Paul  ex- 
claimed, ''  Now,  my  friends,  we  must  commence  our 
voyage;  and  I  pray  that  we  may  be  protected  from  all 
the  dangers  we  may  have  to  encounter." 

The  channel,  however,  was  narrow,  and  we  had 
considerable  difficulty  in  making  our  way  along  it. 
Our  raft,  being  the  smallest,  glided  very  easily  be- 
tween the  overhanging  branches  and  roots  ;  but  the 
people  of  the  other,  with  the  exception  of  my  father, 
had  several  times  to  jump  overboard  to  work  it 
through  the  narrow  places.  Our  progress  was  thus 
but  slow.  The  scenery  was  very  similar  to  that 
which  we  had  already  passed ;    indeed,   sometimes  I 


CROSSING  A  LAKE.  271 

scarcely  knew  whereabouts  we  were,  so  much  did  one 
part  resemble  another. 

We  had  been  going  on  for  some  time  under  thick, 
overhanging  boughs,  when  suddenly  the  bright  shining 
waters  of  a  lake  opened  out  before  us;  and,  greatly  to 
our  satisfaction,  shortly  afterwards  we  found  ourselves 
free  of  the  nan-ow  igarape,  or  channel,  through  which 
we  had  been  so  long  passing.      The  bright   sunlight 
and  the  free  air  of  the  lake  raised  our   spirits,   and 
made    us    feel    as    if  all   our   difficulties    were    over. 
Happily  we  did  not  then  think  of  the  many  we  had 
still  to  encounter.      A  sHght  breeze  was  blowing  from 
the  northward,   and  I  suggested  that  we  should  try 
to  rig  a  sail,  with  one  of  the  poles  as  a  mast  and 
another  as  a  yard.      We  had  but  scanty  materials  for 
forming  it ;   but  we  all  contributed  our  handkerchiefs, 
and  Sambo  offered  his  shirt !      With  some  of  the  line 
we  had   prepared  for   fishing   we  stitched  the   whole 
together,  and  then  secured  it  to  the  yard.      A  strong 
breeze   would  quickly   have  blown    our   sail  into   its 
original  constituents  of  shirt  and  handkerchiefs  ;  but 
the  gentle  air  which  favoured  us  served  to   send  on 
the  raft  as  fast  as  we  could  paddle  it.       The  people 
on  the  other  raft  followed  our  example,  and   we  saw 
two  shirts  stretched  out,  with  a  large  handkerchief  to 
form  a  top-sail.       Under  this  strange  sail  we  glided 
smoothly  over  the  calm  surface  of  the  lake. 

We  had   carefully  preserved  our  fishing  lines  and 


272  A  FISH  CAUGHT. 

hooks,  and  Uncle  Paul  now  distributed  them  between 
the  two  rafts.  We  got  out  ours  as  we  went  along, 
the  rate  at  which  we  were  moving  not  preventing  us 
from  having  hopes  that  we  might  catch  some  fish. 
We  were  not  disappointed.  Before  long  I  got  a  bite. 
The  fish  pulled  lustily,  but  as  the  tackle  was  strong, 
it  could  not  break  away  ;  and  after  it  had  been  pretty 
well  drowned  by  being  towed,  Sambo  assisted  me  to 
haul  it  in.  When  we  had  got  the  fish  up  to  the  raft, 
the  black  stooped  down,  and,  at  no  little  risk  of  top- 
pling off  into  the  water,  lifted  it  on  board.  It  must 
have  weighed  at  least  several  pounds,  and  it  resembled 
in  shape  the  black  fish  of  our  northern  regions.  Kallolo 
afterwards  told  me  that  this  fish  is  called  the  tambaki, 
and  is  one  of  the  best  in  this  part  of  the  world.  The 
only  pity  was  that  we  could  not  cook  it  till  we 
reached  dry  land.  As,  however,  we  hoped  to  do  so 
before  long,  we  again  threw  out  our  lines.  In  a  few 
minutes  we  caught  another  fish  of  the  same  species, 
not  quite  so  large.  The  Indians  on  the  other  raft 
had,  in  the  meantime,  caught  three  fish  of  similar  size, 
but  of  a  different  species  ;  and  not  being  so  particular 
as  we  were,  they  cut  one  of  them  up,  and,  after 
having  hung  the  pieces  in  the  sun  for  a  short  time, 
ate  it  for  dinner.  We,  however,  contented  ourselves 
with  the  fruits  and  nuts  which  had  been  collected  in 
the  morning.  After  having  rested  for  some  time,  we 
again  took  to  our  paddles,  and,  the  breeze  remaining 


A  GOOD  PROSPECT.  273 

fair,  the  rafts  made  good  progress.  We  earnestly 
hoped  that  the  wind  would  continue  in  the  same 
quarter,  as  we  might  thus  before  nightfall  reach  the 
spot  where  Captain  van  Dunk  and  Peter  had  been 
left. 

We  now  entered  the  igarape  Sambo  had  described. 
As  it  was  tolerably  broad,  and  the  wind  still  favoured 
us,  we  quickly  got  through  it,  and  entered  another 
lake  somewhat  similar  to  the  one  we  had  left.  With 
much  satisfaction  we  heard  Sambo  announce  that  in 
another  half  hour  we  should  reach  the  end  of  our 
voyage.  We  paddled  on  even  more  eagerly  than  be- 
fore, hoping  soon  to  be  shaking  the  honest  skipper 
and  his  mate  by  the  hand,  and  thinking  how  pleasant 
it  would  be  to  sleep  comfortably  in  a  hut,  and  to  sup 
well-cooked  provisions. 


(540)  18 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A  JOYFUL  MEETIXO — THE  NEW  SETTLEMENT — A  MIRACULOUS  ESCAPE — KALLOLO 
MAKES  A  BLOW-PIPE  AND  WOORALI  POISON  —  PROGRESS  OF  OUR  VESSEL  — 
MEET  WITH  A  JAGUAR — EFFECT  OF  TIM'S  POLITENESS. 

S  we  sailed  along  about  a  hundred  yards  off 
the  mighty  trees  whose  branches  overhung 
-eS*  ^^^  lake,  we  looked  out  eagerly  for  the 
settlement  our  two  friends  had,  we  hoped, 
formed  on  the  shore.  Water-lilies  with 
enormous  leaves  floated  on  the  surface,  showing  that 
the  depth  could  not  be  great.  On  the  lower  branches 
of  the  trees,  and  here  and  there  where  points  of  land 
ran  out  into  the  lake,  were  numerous  magnificent 
birds.  Among  them,  the  scarlet  ibis  and  roseate  spoon- 
bill excelled  all  others  in  gorgeousness  of  colouring. 
The  ibises  were  of  the  brightest  scarlet,  except  that 
the  tips  of  their  wings  were  black  ;  the  spoonbills 
were  equally  beautiful,  their  general  colour  being  a 
delicate  rose-tint,  with  a  rich  lu.strous  carmine  on  their 
shoulders  and  breast-tufts  ;  the  formation  of  their  bills 
was  also  very  singular.  We  saw  them  fishing  for 
shrimps  and  other  small  creatures  alono'  the  eclo^es  of 


BEAUTIFUL  BIRDS.  275 

the  water.  The  wood  ibis  is  larger  than  either  of  the 
other  two  ;  its  general  plumage  is  white,  the  tips  of 
the  wings  and  the  tail  being  of  a  purplish-black.  I 
cannot,  however,  attempt  to  describe  the  various  birds 
of  which  we  caught  sight  as  we  glided  along.  We 
were  satisfied,  however,  that  the  forest  and  the  water 
would  supply  us  with  an  abundance  of  food. 

*'  We  shall  have,  however,  no  little  difficulty  in 
replacing  our  clothing,"  I  observed  ;  "  though,  as  fortu- 
nately Marian's  box  has  been  saved,  she  will  be  better 
off  than  any  of  us." 

"  I  don't  despair  of  being  able  to  manufacture  cloth- 
ing sufficient  for  our  wants,"  said  Uncle  Paul, — *'  shoes, 
hats,  and  cloaks ;  but  we  must  take  to  kilts  when  our 
trousers  give  way.  We  shall  have,  to  be  sure,  some- 
what the  appearance  of  savages  ;  but  I  hope  that  our 
manners  will  not  become  less  civilized  in  conse- 
quence." 

"  I  can  easily  fancy  how  we  can  make  dresses  of 
leaves,  or  even  of  matting,"  said  Arthur ;  "  but  how 
do  you  propose  to  manufacture  shoes,  unless  we  capture 
some  wild  beasts  and  tan  their  skins?" 

"  I  propose  to  make  shoes  of  a  vegetable  substance," 
answered  Uncle  Paul.  *' I  have  already  seen  some 
trees  which  produce  it,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  we 
shall  find  others  near  our  settlement.  Every  sailor 
knows  how  to  make  hats  from  grass  or  leaves  ;  and 
the  rest  of  our  dresses  must  be  made,  as  you  suppose, 


276  OUR  DESTINATION  REACHED. 

of  matting.  Depend  on  it  we  shall  have  plenty  of 
occupation  when  once  we  get  on  shore,  in  order  to 
supply  our  necessities  ;  and  we  may  be  thankful  for  it, 
as  it  will  prevent  us  from  dwelling  unduly  on  our  past 
misfortunes,  or  on  the  dangers  and  difficulties  we  may 
have  yet  to  encounter." 

"  I  wish  we  were  on  shore,  then,"  I  exclaimed ; 
"  for  I  cannot  help  thinking  of  the  past,  and  on  the 
dangers  which  may  yet  be  in  store  for  us." 

"  Rouse  up,  Guy,"  exclaimed  Uncle  Paul.  ''  Your 
wish  will  soon  be  realized  ;  for  see  yonder  hut  on  the 
shore,  and  the  captain  and  Peter  standing  ready  to  wel- 
come us." 

We  urged  on  our  raft,  and  our  friends  beckoned  to 
us  to  come  to  a  part  of  the  bank  where  we  could  most 
easily  land.  We  made  for  it,  and  soon  reached  the 
shore.  The  captain  and  his  mate  Peter  were  standing 
ready  to  secure  the  raft. 

"  Welcome,  friends,  welcome  to  our  new  province  of 
terra  firma,''  exclaimed  the  former  in  a  hearty  tone,  as 
he  grasped  Uncle  Paul's  hand.  Then  stooping  down, 
he  lifted  Marian  in  his  arms  and  placed  her  safely  on 
the  beach,  exclaiming — "  And  you,  my  pretty  maid,  I 
am  rejoiced  to  see  you  safe  after  all  the  perils  you 
have  gone  through." 

"  Indeed  I  am  very  thankful  to  have  arrived  here," 
answered  Marian  ;  ''  for  I  feared  that  we  should  never 
see  you  again."      She  had  not  before  this  said  a  word 


A  WARM  WELCOME.  277 

about  the  alarm  she  must  have  constantly  felt  during 
our  passage  up  the  igarape. 

"  You  don't  look  so  much  fatigued  as  I  should  have 
expected/'  observed  the  captain  ;  "  and  a  few  days  on 
shore,  with  the  good  cheer  Ave  can  offer  you,  will  set 
you  all  to  rights." 

He  then  shook  hands  with  Arthur  and  me,  and 
giving  a  friendly  nod  to  Sambo,  turned  round  to  wel- 
come my  father,  the  larger  raft  having  closely  followed 
us  to  the  beach.  All  the  party  having  landed,  the 
two  rafts  were  secured  to  the  trunks  of  some  trees 
growing  at  the  water's  edge.  The  worthy  skipper 
now  conducted  us  to  two  huts  which  he  and  Peter  had 
erected.  He  exhibited  them  with  no  little  satisfac- 
tion. One  was  small,  but  neatly  built ;  the  other  was 
of  considerable  dimensions,  and  capable  of  containing 
several  persons,  somewhat  thickly  stowed. 

''  I  thought  of  the  little  maid,  and  my  first  care  was 
to  build  a  house  which  she  might  have  entirely  to 
herself  In  it  she  may  rest  as  long  in  the  morning  as 
she  likes  without  being  disturbed  by  us  when  we  go 
to  our  work,"  he  observed. 

Marian  thanked  him  warmly  as  he  led  her  towards 
the  little  hut,  in  which  he  had  formed  a  bed-place, 
and  put  up  a  table  and  a  three-legged  stool ;  which, 
though  roughly  made,  showed  his  desire  to  attend  to 
her  comfort.  The  bed-place  was  covered  thickly  with 
dry  grass.       Poor   Marian   expressed  her  pleasure   at 


278  HUTS  BUILT  FOR  US. 

the  thought  of  being  able  to  rest  in  quiet  on  it. 
The  larger  hut  was  destitute  of  furniture. 

"  We  must  be  content,  my  friends,  to  sleep  and  take 
our  meals  on  the  ground  till  we  can  make  some  ham- 
mocks and  form  a  table  and  benches,"  said  the  captain^. 
"  Peter  and  I  could  do  no  more  ;  we  have  worked 
hard  to  accomplish  this  much,  I  can  assure  you." 

"  That  you  have  indeed,  Captain  van  Dunk,"  ob- 
served Uncle  Paul.  "  We  are  grateful  to  you  for 
having  laboured  so  hard  for  our  benefit." 

"  Peter  and  I  knew  that  you  would  require  a  secure 
resting-place,  where  you  might  sleep  in  peace  without 
the  fear  of  being  pounced  upon  by  a  jaguar  or  a  puma," 
answered  the  skipper.  "  It  will  afford  accommodation 
to  you  four  gentlemen  and  Peter  and  me,  and  the 
other  men  will  soon  run  up  a  hut  for  themselves. 
They  must  not  spend  much  time  on  it,  for  all  hands 
will  have  enough  to  do  in  building  the  vessel  and 
procuring  food.  We  can  obtain  an  ample  supply,  but 
we  must  not  sit  down  and  expect  it  to  drop  into  our 
mouths." 

"  You  will  find  every  one  ready  to  assist  you  in 
carrying  out  your  plans,  captain,  for  a  more  obedient 
set  of  men  I  have  never  met  with,"  said  Uncle  Paul. 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  am  sure  of  that,"  said  the  captain. 
"  Now,  instead  of  losing  more  time  in  talking,  let  us  go 
to  supper.  We  have  some  parrots  and  macaws  roast- 
ing, and  a  collection  of  ripe  fruit  for  the  little  maid." 


A  SOUND  SLEEP  ON  SHORE.  279 

''  And  we  Lave  brought  some  fine  fish/'  I  said,  "  to 
add  to  the  feast." 

''  Then  we  will  put  them  on  the  spit  at  once,"  ob- 
served the  captain  ;  on  which  I  ran  down  to  the  raft 
and  returned  with  a  big  fish  in  each  hand.  Peter, 
who  acted  as  cook,  with  Sambo's  assistance  soon  had 
the  fish  cleaned  and  spitted,  when  the  latter  took  his 
seat  by  the  fire  to  keep  the  various  roasts  turning. 

Marian  only  partook  of  a  little  of  the  fish,  and  some 
cassava  bread  which  the  captain  had  prepared  and 
baked  for  her  beforehand.  He  then  begged  her  to 
retire  to  her  hut,  and  to  take  that  rest  she  so  much 
needed.  Her  trunk,  which  had  come  on  in  the  raft, 
enabled  her  to  obtain  a  change  of  clothing, — a  luxury 
none  of  the  rest  of  us  could  enjoy. 

We  all  enjoyed  the  feast,  however ;  for  we  were 
thoroughly  tired,  and  expected  to  obtain  a  comfortable 
night's  rest  after  it.  As  soon  as  it  was  over,  we  thank- 
fully entered  our  hut,  where  we  found  that  the  captain 
and  Peter  had  thoughtfully  collected  a  large  supply  of 
dry  grass  and  leaves  for  our  use.  I  can  truly  say 
that  I  have  never  since  slept  more  soundly  on  feather- 
bed than  I  did  during  that  first  night  in  our  new 
settlement,  as  the  skipper  called  it.  I  dreamed  not  of 
Indians,  nor  of  anacondas,  nor  of  our  long  swim.  Day- 
light was  streaming  in  at  the  open  door  when  I  awoke. 
I  found  the  rest  of  the  party,  with  the  exception  of 
my  father,  on  foot,  and  the  captain  giving  directions 


280  TREPARATIONS  FOR  WORK. 

to  each  one  what  to  do.  My  father  was  going  to 
get  up. 

"  No,  no,  my  friend,"  said  the  skipper.  "  You  are 
weary,  and  require  a  long  rest ;  we  must  excuse  you 
from  working  until  you  have  sufficiently  recovered  to 
undertake  it." 

*'  But  I  am  ready  to  work,"  I  said,  springing  to  my 
feet.  ''  Tell  me  what  to  do  and  I  will  willingly  per- 
form it.  If  I  had  an  axe  I  would  quickly  begin  to 
cut  down  a  tree." 

"  Our  first  business  will  be  to  form  tools  to  work 
with,"  answered  the  captain.  "  We  must  search  for  big 
stones  of  a  proper  shape  to  serve  as  hammers  ;  although 
they  are  not  common  down  here,  they  may  be  found 
in  the  interior.  We  must  then  form  wedges  to  split 
the  trees,  which  Peter,  who  is  our  best  axe-man,  will 
cut  down.  You  will  then  find  ample  employment  in 
forming  tree-nails  with  your  knife.  We  must  be  con- 
tent to  proceed  by  slow  degrees,  and  each  man  must 
take  the  task  for  which  he  is  best  fitted." 

I  saw  the  wisdom  of  Captain  van  Dunk's  remarks, 
and  felt  more  confident  of  success  than  I  should  have 
done  had  he  undertaken  to  perform  in  a  hurry  the 
work  he  proposed.  I  begged  that  I  might  set  out  at 
once. 

"  I  shall  send  out  three  parties  for  that  object,"  he 
said.  "  You  with  one  of  the  Indians,  your  cousin 
with  another,  and  Tim  with  the  third." 


SEARCH  FOR  HAMMER  HEADS.  281 

Having  made  a  hurried  meal  of  some  of  the  provi- 
sions which  remained  from  our  supper  of  the  previous 
night,  we  set  out.  Polo  was  my  companion,  Arthur 
took  Maco,  and  Tim  was  accompanied  by  Kallolo. 
The  Indians  carried  their  bows  and  arrows,  and  we 
were  each  armed  with  long  poles,  which,  being  pointed 
at  one  end,  would  serve  as  spears  as  well  as  assist  us 
in  our  progress.  We  had  no  fear  of  meeting  with 
human  foes,  as  the  captain  and  Peter  told  us  that  they 
had  seen  no  traces  of  inhabitants.  After  proceeding 
some  way  together  we  separated,  Arthur  and  his 
attendant  going  towards  some  high  ground  which 
appeared  beyond  the  forest-region  in  front  of  us,  while 
I  made  my  way  up  to  reach  a  range  of  hills  in  front, 
Tim  and  Kallolo  going  in  an  opposite  direction. 

After  proceeding  some  distance  we  found  ourselves 
on  the  border  of  a  rapid  and  shallow  stream,  and  I 
hoped  that  we  should  discover  in  its  bed  some  stones 
of  the  shape  and  size  we  required.  We  made  our  way 
along  it,  and  in  a  short  time  came  upon  one  which 
seemed  just  adapted  for  the  purpose  in  view.  This 
encouraged  me  to  search  for  more.  I  was  not  disap- 
pointed in  my  hopes,  and  before  long  found  three 
others  ;  one  with  a  hole  through  the  centre,  the  rest 
being  somewhat  long,  with  flat  ends,  and  a  narrow 
part  conveniently  shaped  for  attaching  a  handle.  I 
gave  two  to  Polo,  and  carried  two  myself  Feeling 
sure  that  the  captain  would  be  well  pleased  with  our 


282  A  BATH  PROPOSED. 

success,  we  commenced  our  return  journey.  Suppos- 
ing that  the  stream  would  lead  us  in  the  proper  direc- 
tion, we  followed  down  its  banks.  We  continued  till 
we  found  ourselves  in  a  thick  part  of  the  forest,  but 
the  underwood  was  not  sufficiently  dense  altogether  to 
stop  our  progress.  Sometimes  we  were  at  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  stream,  and  then  again  we  made  our. 
way  close  along  the  edge.  The  water  was  clear  and 
bright,  and  the  sun  shone  directly  down  upon  the 
channel,  which  had  now  assumed  the  character  of  an 
igarape,  the  trees  by  it  adorned  with  numberless 
creepers  and  parasitical  plants,  covered  with  gaily- 
coloured  flowers,  which  hung  in  fantastic  wreaths  from 
the  boughs.  I  felt  that  a  swim  would  be  very  enjoy- 
able. Being  somewhat  warm,  however,  I  rested  on  an 
overhanging  bough  before  taking  off  my  trousers  to 
plunge  in,  while  Polo  stood  near  me. 

''  Well,  I  think  I  am  cool  enough  now,"  I  observed 
to  him,  and  was  about  to  stand  up  before  taking  a 
plunge  into  the  tempting  water,  when  I  saw  the  sur- 
face disturbed,  and  presently  the  huge  head  and  for- 
midable jaws  of  an  enormous  alligator  rose  above  it, 
his  wicked  eyes  turned  towards  me  as  if  he  longed  to 
have  me  in  his  maw  !  I  shuddered  as  I  gazed  at  him, 
for  in  another  minute  I  might  have  been  within  that 
fearful  mouth,  and  carried  down  beneath  the  surface, 
as  has  been  the  fate  of  many  people  in  this  part  of 
the   country.      I   was   thankful   that   I   had   seen  the 


AN      UNPLEASANT      BATHING     COMPANION. 


AN  UNPLEASANT  COMPANION.  285 

creature,  for  his  appearance  was  a  warning  to  us  all 
not  to  venture  into  the  water.  Polo,  stooping  down, 
assisted  me  to  get  off  the  branch,  for  fear  I  should  by 
any  chance  slip,  and  become,  after  all,  a  victim  to  the 
monster.  I  had  never  before  seen  so  hideous  a  crea- 
ture. Though  we  shouted,  he  seemed  in  no  way  inti- 
midated, and  still  floated  on  the  surface,  as  if  meditat- 
ing an  attack  Polo  earnestly  advised  that  we  should 
retire  from  the  bank,  as  he  said  that  he  had  known 
instances  when  alligators,  hard  pressed  by  hunger,  had 
rushed  on  shore,  and  seizing  persons,  had  carried  them 
off  without  a  possibility  of  being  rescued  by  their 
friends.  I  shuddered  again  as  I  listened  to  his  ac- 
count, and  thought  of  the  fearful  risk  I  had  run.  We 
sat  watching  the  monster  for  some  time  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance, with  our  spears  in  our  hands ;  but  he  showed 
no  inclination  to  follow  us,  and  at  length,  turning 
round,  he  went  swimming  down  the  stream  till  he  was 
lost  to  sight. 

We  had  some  difficulty  in  making  our  way  back 
through  the  forest,  for  the  stream,  we  found,  took  a  turn 
away  from  the  settlement,  and  it  led  us  further  from 
it  than  we  had  supposed.  The  captain  highly 
approved  of  the  stones  we  had  brought.  Arthur  and 
Tim  had  already  arrived,  each  of  them  having  found 
only  one  stone  adapted  to  the  purpose  of  hammers ; 
but  they  were  large  and  heavy,  and  were  just  what 
was   Avanted.      They   had,    however,    brought   several 


286  STONES  FOUND  FOR  AXE  HEADS. 

large  pieces  of  hard  stone  of  flinty  nature  and  wedge 
or  axe-like  form,  which  the  captain  pronounced  to  be 
of  the  greatest  value. 

"  I  thought  so  when  I  discovered  them,"  observed 
Arthur.  "  It  seemed  to  me  that  by  chipping  or  grind- 
ing them,  sharp  edges  might  be  formed  so  as  to  serve 
either  for  wedges  or  perhaps  even  for  axes." 

"  They  will  form  axes,  though  some  labour  will  be 
required  to  sharpen  them,"  exclaimed  the  captain.  ''We 
could  then  easily  fix  them  in  handles ;  and  they  will  be 
of  the  greatest  use,  if  not  for  cutting  down  the  trees, 
at  all  events  for  scoring  the  trunks  for  the  wedges, 
and  for  smoothing  the  planks  when  split.  You  must 
search  for  some  more  of  the  same  character;  and  if  you 
find  them,  as  I  have  no  doubt  you  will,  we  shall  all 
have  tools,  and  be  able  to  make  rapid  progress." 

The  three  Indians  at  once  undertook  not  only  to 
put  handles  to  the  hammers,  but  to  sharpen  the  stones 
intended  for  axe-heads. 

"  It  will  take  some  time,"  observed  Kallolo  ;  "  but 
in  our  country  we  do  not  think  much  of  time,  and 
patience  overcomes  all  difficulties." 

"  We  must  not,  however,  forget  the  necessity  of 
finding  provisions  for  our  settlement,"  observed  Uncle 
Paul.  ''  Kallolo  has  undertaken  to  supply  us,  if  he 
can  find  time  to  form  a  blow-pipe  ;  it  will  be  wise,  I 
think,  to  allow  him  to  do  so  before  he  attempts  to 
execute  any  other  work." 


MAT-MAKING  ATTEMPTED.  287 

The  captain  agreed  to  this,  and  begged  that  Kallolo 
would  endeavour  to  find  the  materials  for  the  instru- 
ment he  proposed  to  make. 

The  Indians  eye  brightened.  ''Yes,  yes,  I  will 
start  to-morrow  morning,"  he  said.  "  I  will  search 
also  for  the  ingredients  for  the  poison,  without  which 
the  blow-pipe  would  be  of  little  use.  In  the  meantime 
I  will  labour  at  the  hammers  and  axes,  which  Maco 
and  Polo  may  complete  while  I  am  employed  at  the 
zabatana." 

Marian,  on  seeing  all  the  rest  of  the  party  busy, 
begged  that  she  also  might  have  something  to  do. 
"I  will  gladly  act  as  cook  for  you,  though,  unfortu- 
nately, I  am  very  little  acquainted  with  the  art;  but 
with  some  hints  from  Sambo,  I  may  in  time  become 
proficient." 

''  I  think  we  may  find  pleasanter  employment  than 
that  for  you,  my  little  maid,"  said  the  captain. 
''  Some  of  us  are  in  want  of  hats,  and  we  shall  require 
a  large  amount  of  matting  to  serve  as  bedding  and 
clothing,  and  also  to  form  sails  for  our  vessel.  I  have 
thought  that  if  you  and  your  father,  assisted  by  your 
brother  Guy,  would  turn  your  attention  to  the  matter, 
you  would  render  great  service  to  our  little  community." 

Marian  said  she  should  be  delighted;  and  my 
father  and  I  at  once  expressed  our  readiness  to  become 
pi  alters  and  weavers,  and  to  give  our  thoughts  to  the 
subject; — though,  of  course,  we  could  not  expect  to  ac- 


288  REEDS  TURNED  TO  ACCOUNT. 

complish  much  at  first,  as  we  had  very  little  know- 
ledge of  the  art  we  proposed  to  exercise.  Kallolo, 
however,  said  that  he  would  show  us  how  mattino- 
was  manufactured  in  his  country.  It  could  be  made 
sufficiently  fine  for  clothing,  or  thick  and  coarse  for 
roofs  of  cabins  on  board  river-boats,  or  very  strong  for 
sails. 

Some  feathery-leaved  reeds  grew  on  the  shore  of  the 
lake  not  far  off",  and  as  we  were  eager  to  beofin,  Arthur 
and  I  cut  a  few,  and  bringing  them  back  to  Kallolo, 
begged  him  to  show  us  how  to  plait.  He  at  once  un- 
dertook to  do  so,  observing,  however,  that  the  reeds 
were  not  fit  for  any  other  purpose  than  to  make  coarse 
hats  ;  and  that  they  must  be  first  dried,  and  then 
split,  before  they  could  be  fit  for  use.  "  However,  they 
will  do  to  learn  with,  and  you  can  at  once  make  hats 
with  your  platting,"  he  added.  Being  anxious  to  learn, 
we  kept  hard  at  work,  and  before  Marian  repaired  to 
her  hut  for  the  night  we  had  made  several  yards  of 
platting,  and  my  father  had  designed  a  plan  for  manu- 
facturing matting. 

I  cannot  attempt  to  describe  the  labour  of  each  day, 
or  the  progress  we  made  in  our  work.  Kallolo,  who 
had  started  as  he  intended  at  daj^break,  returned  in 
the  evening  with  the  materials  for  his  blow-pipe,  and 
the  ingredients  for  manufacturing  the  woorali  poison. 
He  had  brought  several  stems  of  small  palms,  from 
which  he  selected  two  of  different  sizes.      Outside  they 


KALLOLO  MAKES  A  BLOW-PIPE.  289 

appeared  rough  from  the  scars  of  the  fallen  leaves  ;  but 
he  said  that  the  soft  pith  within  them  would  soon  rot 
if  steeped  in  water,  and  being  easily  extracted  would 
leave  a  smooth  polished  bore.  The  smaller  one  was 
very  delicate,  being  scarcely  thicker  than  a  finger  ;  the 
other  was  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter.  He  ex- 
plained that  the  smaller  one  was  to  be  pushed  inside 
the  larger  ; — this  was  to  be  done  that  any  curve  in  the 
one  might  counteract  that  in  the  other.  Having 
allowed  his  stems  to  remain  in  water  two  or  three 
days,  he  was  able  to  remove  the  pith,  which  had  thus 
become  rotten.  He  then  fastened  a  cup-shaped  wooden 
mouth-piece  to  one  end,  and  bound  the  whole  spirally 
with  the  long  flat  strips  of  the  black  bark  of  the 
climbing  palm-tree.  Among  other  materials,  he  had 
brought  a  quantity  of  wax  of  a  dark  hue,  with  which 
he  smeared  the  whole  of  the  outside.  The  tube  he 
had  thus  formed  tapered  towards  the  muzzle,  the 
mouth-piece  being  fitted  to  the  upper  end.  Both  ends 
were  tightly  bound  round  Avith  a  cord  of  silk  grass  ; 
the  butt  being  further  secured  by  a  nut  cut  horizon- 
tally through  the  middle,  with  a  hole  in  the  end  form- 
ing a  ring,  which,  should  it  strike  the  ground,  would 
prevent  it  from  splitting.  About  two  feet  from  the 
mouth-end  he  fastened  a  couple  of  the  teeth  of  the 
agouti  to  serve  as  sights. 

Kallolo  having  finished  his  blow-pipe  hung  it  up 
carefully  by  one  end,  as  should  it  become  in  the  slight- 


290  ARROWS  MANUFACTURED. 

est  degree  bent,  it  would  be,  he  explained,  completely 
spoiled.  He  then  commenced  manufacturing  arrows. 
They  were  made  out  of  the  leaf  of  a  species  of  palm- 
tree,  hard,  brittle,  and  pointed  as  sharp  as  needles. 
HavincT  burned  the  butt  end,  he  fastened  round  it  some 
wild  cotton  of  just  sufficient  thickness  to  fit  the  hole 
of  the  tube.  As  soon  as  he  had  formed  an  arrow  he 
put  it  into  the  blow-pipe,  and  aimed  at  an  unfortunate 
parrot  perched  on  a  tree  fifty  yards  off*.  The  parrot 
uttering  a  cry  flew  away,  and  the  arrow  fell  to  the 
ground  ;  but  as  no  poison  had  as  yet  been  used,  the 
bird  was  little  the  worse  for  its  wound.  The  case 
would  have  been  very  different  had  the  arrow  been 
dipped  in  the  poison  :  the  bird  would  have  died  in 
thirty  or  forty  seconds,  Kallolo  told  me.  He  was  well 
satisfied  with  his  performance,  and  pronounced  his 
blow-pipe  a  certain  killer. 

He  had  now  to  manufacture  the  poison.  He  had 
already  procured  all  the  ingredients,  and  three  large 
bowls  ;  but  he  confessed  to  the  captain  that  all  his 
efforts  would  be  in  vain  unless  he  could  obtain  a 
vessel  in  which  to  boil  it,  as  the  wooden  bowls  would 
certainly  not  answer  the  purpose.  His  object  was  to 
obtain  the  loan  of  the  saucepan  I 

"  Why,  we  shall  all  be  poisoned  if  you  use  it,"  said  the 
captain,  starting  back  with  dismay  ;  '*  you  had  better 
go  without  your  blow-pipe  than  allow  that  to  happen." 

Kallolo  assured  him  that  the  vessel  would  not  in  any 


VVOORALI  POISON  CONCOCTED.  291 

way  be  injured  ;  and  that  should  the  white  people  even 
swallow  a  small  portion  of  the  poison,  they  would  not 
suffer. 

"Ah,  my  friend,  but  I  WQuld  rather  not  risk  it," 
observed  the  captain.  "  However,  if  you  can  under- 
take to  clean  the  pot  thoroughly  after  you  have  used 
it,  I  will  not  hinder  you,  as  I  am  well  aware  that  you 
could  procure  more  food  with  your  blow-pipe  than  all 
of  us  together,  with  our  bows  and  arrows  and  fishing- 
lines." 

Having  obtained  the  loan  of  the  pot,  Kallolo  im- 
mediately commenced  operations.  He  had,  I  should 
have  said,  formed  a  small  hut  at  a  little  distance  from 
the  camp,  in  which  to  concoct  the  mixture.  He  had 
placed  there  the  various  ingredients  he  had  collected. 
The  first  was  composed  of  several  bunches  of  the  woorali 
vine]  another  was  a  root  with  a  sharp,  bitter  taste. 
Besides  these  there  were  two  bulbous  plants,  which  con- 
tained a  green  and  glutinous  juice.  He  had  also  col- 
lected two  species  of  ants  :  one  large  and  black,  with  a 
sharp,  venomous  sting  ;  the  other  a  little  red  ant,  which 
stings  like  the  nettle.  Having  scraped  the  woorali 
vine  and  bitter  root  into  thin  shavings,  he  put  thejn 
into  a  sieve  made  of  leaves,  which  he  held  over  a 
bowl,  and  poured  water  on  them  :  a  thick  liquor  came 
through,  having  the  appearance  of  coffee.  He  then 
produced  the  bulbous  plants,  and  squeezed  a  portion  of 
the  juice  into  the  pot,  adding  the  dried  ants,  as  well  as 


292  AXES  A^'D  HAMMERS  FORMED. 

the  pounded  fangs  of  two  venomous  snakes.  Clearing 
everything  away,  he  made  a  fire  in  the  centre  of  the 
liut,  and  pouring  the  mixture  into  the  saucepan,  he 
boiled  it  slowly  for  some  hours.  The  scum  was  then 
taken  off,  when  the  liquid  had  become  reduced  to  thick 
sirup  of  a  deep  brown  colour.  He  now  told  me  that 
it  was  fit  for  use;  and  his  darts  being  ready,  he  dipped 
them  into  it,  as  he  did  also  several  large  arrows,  and 
the  points  of  some  of  our  spears.  The  remainder  he 
poured  off  into  some  small  gourds,  which  he  covered 
carefully  over  with  leaves,  and  hung  up  in  the  hut. 

"Now I"  he  said,  "we  are  prepared  for  any  enemies 
who  may  come  near  us  ;  and  we  may  be  sure  that  we 
shall  be  able  to  procure  as  much  game  as  we  can 
desire." 

The  last  tliiiiix  to  be  done  was  to  cleanse  the  sauce- 
pan.  He  first  boiled  water  in  it  several  times,  throw- 
ing each  quantity  away  ;  he  then  scraped  it  with  his 
knife  all  over,  and  rubbed  it  again  and  again  with 
leaves,  till,  pronouncing  it  to  be  perfectly  free  from  the 
slightest  particle  of  poison,  he  took  it  to  the  skipper, 
who  examined  it  with  a  suspicious  eye.  I  told  him  all 
that  I  had  seen  done,  and  at  last  he  seemed  satisfied 
that  no  one  would  be  the  worse  for  food  cooked  in  it. 

By  this  time  a  number  of  hammers  had  been  formed, 
and  no  less  than  four  axes.  Maco  and  Polo,  working 
under  water,  had  sharpened  them  by  means  of  some  other 
hard  stone  which  they  fownd  in  the  stream.      For  this 


THE   KEEL  LAID.  293 

purpose  each  of  them  dug  a  hole  on  the  shore  of  the 
lake,  into  which  they  let  the  water,  and  seated  over  it 
performed  the  whole  operation  under  the  surface.  I 
reminded  them  of  the  huge  alligator  I  had  seen. 

''No  fear,  Massa  Guy,"  answered  Maco  ;  "  while  we 
make  noise  like  this,  the  caymans  take  care  not  to 
come  near  us." 

"  I  hope  that  you  will  not  be  mistaken,"  I  answered, 
advising  them  to  place  a  number  of  small  poles  in  the 
mud  in  front  of  them,  which  might  prevent  even  a 
hungry  cayman  from  landing,  as  he  would  probably  be 
suspicious. 

A  most  important  event  now  took  place.  It  was 
laying  the  keel  of  our  proposed  vessel,  which  had  been 
prepared  with  infinite  labour,  chiefly  by  a  single  axe. 
When  we  considered  that  we  had  to  cut  out  the  ribs 
with  such  tools,  and  then  to  shape  and  nail  on  the 
planks,  we  might  well  have  despaired  of  accomplishing 
the  work. 

"  Have  we  not  an  auger,  and  a  saw,  and  an  axe  ? 
why  then  should  we  despair  1 "  exclaimed  the  skipper 
over  and  over  again.  "  Though  we  have  no  nails,  we 
can  make  wooden  ones  ;  and  though  we  have  no  iron, 
we  will  compel  wood  and  fibre  to  take  its  place.  We 
shall  build  a  vessel,  never  fear." 

Having  no  paper  for  the  plan,  the  captain  had 
smoothed  a  piece  of  ground,  on  which  he  had  drawn 
it  out  with  great  accuracy,  so  that  the  opposite  timbers 


294  HEWING  OUT  THE  RIBS. 

should  be  of  the  same  shape,  and  agree  with  each  other, 
expanding  less  and  less  towards  the  bow  and  stern, 
that  when  the  planks  were  laid  on  they  should  remain 
even  and  be  firmly  fixed.  Uncle  Paul  approved  of 
Captain  van  Dunk's  plan,  and  ably  seconded  him  in 
every  part  of  the  work. 

All  day  long  hewing  and  chipping  went  on.  Each 
crooked  piece  of  timber,  as  it  was  cut  off,  was  brought 
to  the  plan  to  ascertain  for  which  of  the  ribs  it  was 
most  fitted.  Tim  proved  himself  one  of  the  best 
workmen  of  the  party.  I  suspect  that  had  all  possessed 
regular  tools  others  might  have  excelled  him,  but  his 
talent  consisted  in  employing  our  very  imperfect  instru- 
ments, and  in  devising  new  methods  of  getting  through 
the  work.  He  was  especially  an  adept  at  splitting 
trees.  No  sooner  was  one  felled  than  he  would  set  to 
work  to  scrape  off*  the  bark  at  the  upper  part,  and  to 
run  deep  and  straight  lines  down  it ;  he  then  fixed 
the  wedges  in  a  long  row,  and  went  from  one  to  an- 
other, driving  them  in  as  if  playing  on  a  musical 
instrument.  When  they  were  all  firmly  fixed,  he 
would  call  the  rest  of  the  party  with  their  hammers, 
and  at  a  signal  make  them  all  strike  at  once,  seldom 
failing  to  separate  an  even  plank. 

We  had  not  hitherto  been  troubled  by  wild  beasts, 
nor  had  even  any  serpents  shown  their  ugly  heads.  I 
had  one  morning  accompanied  Tim  into  the  forest, 
intending  to  look  out  for  trees  to  fell,  Tim  carrying 


TIM  ENCOUNTERS  A  JAGUAR.  295 

his  axe  to  mark  them.  I  had  thoughtlessly  left  my 
bow  and  arrows  behind,  and  had  only  a  long  pointed 
stick  in  my  hand.  We  had  reached  a  somewhat  open 
space,  and  having  passed  across  it,  had  arrived  at  a 
narrow  glade, — probably  the  result  of  a  hurricane. 
Just  at  the  edge  of  it  Tim  had  discovered  one  of  the 
trees  of  which  he  was  in  search.  We  were  going 
up  to  it  when,  not  twenty  yards  off,  a  huge  jaguar 
stalked  out  of  the  forest,  and  stood  looking  at  us,  ap- 
parently meditating  a  spring  in  our  direction  ! 

''  Do  not  run,  as  you  value  your  life,  Mr.  Guy,"  ex- 
claimed Tim.  ''Stand  still,  and  I  will  tackle  the 
ofentleman." 

I  did  as  he  advised,  merely  holding  my  pointed 
stick  before  me  ;  though  I  knew  that  had  the  jaguar 
attacked  us  it  would  have  been  of  little  more  use  than 
a  toothpick.  Tim,  however,  ran  boldly  forward,  and, 
to  my  surprise,  doffing  his  hat,  exclaimed, — 

"  The  top  of  the  morning  to  ye,  Mr.  Jaguar.  You 
will  please  to  say  what  you  want,  or  take  yourself  out 
of  this  ;  for  it's  your  room  rather  than  your  company 
we  would  be  after  wishing  for." 

The  jaguar,  astonished  at  the  coolness  of  the  man, 
though  he  could  not  understand  what  was  said,  turned 
slowly  round  and  went  off,  trailing  his  tail  after  him 
as  if  he  felt  himself  conquered.  On  seeing  this,  Tim 
set  up  a  wild  shout,  which  sounded  to  my  ears  like 
"  Wallop-ahoo-aboo — Erin-go-brah  !  "  in  which  I  very 


296  SAVAGE  CREATURES. 

heartily  joined  him,  feeling  no  small  satisfaction  at  the 
peaceable  termination  of  this  our  first  interview  with 
one  of  the  very  few  wild  beasts  we  had  to  dread  in 
the  forests  of  the  Orinoco. 

The  puma,  or  American  lion,  though  not  in  reality 
quite  so  formidable  as  a  jaguar,  is  not  a  creature  which  an 
unarmed  man  would  wish  to  meet  when  alone  ;  though, 
except  when  very  hard  pressed  b}^  hunger,  or  when 
it  can  attack  a  person  unprepared,  it  seldom  destroys 
human  beings.  The  savage  jaguar,  on  the  contrary, 
will  follow  with  stealthy  feet  the  trail  of  the  Indian, 
and  suddenly  seizing  him,  deprive  him  of  life.  Though 
generally  not  much  larger  than  a  wolf,  it  occasionally 
reaches  the  size  of  the  Indian  tiger,  and  is  often  called 
the  tiger  or  panther  of  the  New  World.  It  greatly 
resembles  the  leopard,  especially  in  its  forest  habits, 
as  by  means  of  its  powerful  claws  it  can  with  ease 
spring  up  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  make  its  way  along 
a  branch,  ready  to  pounce  down  upon  a  foe.  It  is 
truly  the  lord  of  the  South  American  forests,  as  it 
often  attacks  the  thick-skinned  tapir,  and  even  the 
largest  alligator.  In  spite  of  the  enormous  jaws  of  the 
latter,  the  jaguar  will  leap  towards  the  tail  of  the  crea- 
ture, tear  open  its  side,  and  devour  it  even  before  life  is 
extinct.  Only  two  animals  do  not  fear  the  jaguar  ;  — 
one  is  the  great  ant-eater,  which  is  defended  from  the 
monster's  attacks  by  its  thick  shaggy  coat ;  the  other 
is  the  little  peccary.      The  latter,  however,  when  caught 


CUTTING   DOWN   TREES.  297 

singly  is  quickly  despatched.  When  collected  in  a 
herd  the  case  is  very  different.  They  then  so  fearlessly 
assail  the  jaguar  with  their  sharp  tusks,  that  though  it 
may  kill  a  few  of  them,  it  is  usually  pierced  to  death, 
or  compelled  to  take  to  flight.  We  had  good  reason, 
therefore,  to  be  thankful  that  the  jaguar  had  not  found 
us  busy  at  work  with  our  backs  turned  towards  him  ; 
in  which  case  he  would  probably  have  killed  one  or 
both  of  us.  He  must  already,  as  Tim  observed,  have 
had  his  dinner,  else  he  would  not  so  readily  have 
taken  his  departure.  We  found,  indeed,  not  far  off, 
the  remains  of  a  deer  on  which  he  had  been  feeding, 
several  armadillos  and  a  king-vulture  being  engaged  in 
finishing  what  he  had  left  of  the  feast. 

While  Tim  was  at  work,  I  kept  watch  in  case  another 
jaguar  or  any  other  foe  should  approach.  I  regretted 
not  having  brought  my  bow  and  arrows,  and  deter- 
mined never  to  leave  home  again  without  them. 

The  tree  was  soon  cut  down,  for  we  were  obliged  to 
choose  those  of  small  size,  which  could  be  easily 
chopped  through  and  split.  As  soon  as  it  was  down, 
Tim  smoothed  off  the  upper  surface,  and  then  drew 
lines  along  it  to  mark  the  divisions  of  the  planks, 
scoring  them  deeply  with  his  axe,  ready  for  the  wedges. 
Sometimes  a  tree  split  from  one  end  to  the  other,  and 
we  quickly  had  a  number  of  boards  formed  ;  which, 
however,  required  seasoning  before  they  could  be  used. 
This  operation  took   place   more   rapidly  than  in  our 


298 


A  GOOD  RESOLUTION. 


northern  climes ;   for  by  placing   them   in    the   shade, 
though  exposed  to  the  air,  they  quickly  dried. 

Having  cut  a  tree  into  planks,  we  each  of  us  carried 
home  a  couple  of  them.  I  gave  a  description  of  Tim's 
encounter  with  the  jaguar.  Of  course  our  friends  con- 
gratulated us  on  our  escape;  and,  taking  warning,  they 
determined  to  be  on  the  look-out  lest  the  creature 
should  think  fit  to  pay  the  settlement  a  visit. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Marian's  fearful  danger — tim's  wonderful  ride  on  an  alligator's  back  — 
marian  and  i  rescued — death  of  the  alligator. 

1^^.  UR  manufactures  of  various  sorts  went  on  with 
"^jSiK  unabated  vigour.  We  had  ah-eady  gained 
considerable  skill  in  mat-making,  and  had 
tried  various  substances,  some  produced  from 
different  species  of  palms,  and  others  from  grass  and 
sedges  growing  on  the  banks  of  the  neighbouring 
stream  or  lake.  We  had  also  made  a  quantity  of 
string,  or  what  sailors  call  sennit,  which,  twisted 
together,  would  serve  as  cordage  for  the  vessel.  One 
of  our  great  wants  had  been  hammocks  in  which  to 
sleep,  they  being  far  cooler  and  more  healthy  than 
standing  bed-places.  There  was  an  objection,  also,  to 
sleeping  on  the  ground :  for  we  were  liable  to  be 
stung  by  insects  ;  and  indeed  venomous  snakes  might 
enter  and  remain  undiscovered,  coiled  in  the  heaps  of 
grass  and  dry  leaves  which  formed  our  matresses. 

After  we  had  made  a  quantity  of  sennit,  Peter  cut 
out  some  netting  needles  and  pins,  and  set  to  work 
to  net  a  hammock  for  himself      Others  followed  his 


300  ABUNDANCE  OF  FISH. 

example,  and  soon  each  of  us  had  a  haminock  slung 
in  the  hut ;  which  being  stowed  away  in  the  day- 
time, gave  us  far  more  room  than  we  had  before  en- 
joyed. Arthur  and  I  made  a  sort  of  cot  for  Marian, 
in  which  she  was  able  to  sleep  with  more  comfort  than 
in  the  confined  bunk  the  kind  captain  had  at  first 
made  for  her. 

Uncle  Paul  had  not  forgotten  his  intention  of  try- 
ing to  supply  us  with  garments  ;  but  as  we  had  so 
many  things  to  attend  to,  he  had  not  as  yet  begun 
to  make  them.  We  had  all,  however,  been  supplied 
with  straw-hats  ;  which,  working  as  we  were  in  the 
sun,  were  absolute  necessities.  The  Indians  had  also 
to  make  frequent  excursions  in  search  of  game  and 
fruit  to  supply  the  community  with  food,  so  that  we 
were  never  without  an  abundance  of  what  we  con- 
sidered the  necessaries  of  life.  Kallolo  had  also  manu- 
factured some  palm-wine  and  several  refreshing  bever- 
ages from  fruit,  chiefly  of  palms.  Occasionally,  too, 
Uncle  Paul  with  a  companion  launched  out  into  the 
lake  on  the  smaller  raft  with  hooks  and  lines,  and  in- 
variably returned  with  a  good  suppty  of  fish. 

One  day  when  he  and  Arthur  had  gone  out  for 
that  purpose,  Marian  asked  me  to  accompany  her  in 
search  of  a  peculiarly  elastic  grass  called  the  "  capim 
grass,"  and  two  or  three  other  sorts  which  grew  on 
the  banks  of  the  stream.  Tim  and  Sambo  followed, 
to  assist  us  in  brinmn^x  back  what  we   micfht  collect  ; 


MARIAN  IN  FEARFUL  DANGER.  301 

and  Kallolo  and   Maco,  wishing  to  shoot  sonrie   birds, 
came  with  their  blow-pipes  and  bows  and  arrows. 

We  had  got  nearly  to  the  mouth  of  the  stream,  where 
there  was  some  open  ground,  the  trees  not  growing 
so  closely  down  to  the  edge  of  the  water  as  in  other 
places.  Tim  and  Sambo  were  together.  I  had  gone  a 
little  way  on,  when  Marian  saw  some  of  the  grass  of 
which  she  was  in  search.  The  Indians,  who  had  just 
shot  a  toucan,  were  a  little  way  behind  me,  waiting 
for  the  bird  to  drop.  The  waters  having  by  this  time 
considerably  subsided,  the  stream  was  running  much 
more  rapidly  than  at  first.  I  stopped  to  watch  a  log 
which  was  floating  down,  and  I  thought  how  con- 
venient it  would  be  to  get  hold  of  it  and  tow  it  on 
shore,  as  it  would  save  us  several  hours'  labour  should 
it  be  fit  for  our  ship-building  purposes.  Just  then  I 
caught  sight  of  Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur  on  the  raft, 
they  having  come  to  the  mouth  of  the  stream  ;  but  of 
course  they  could  not  ascend  it.  1  shouted  to  them, 
and  pointed  out  the  log. 

At  that  moment  I  heard  a  piercing  cry,  and  to  my 
dismay  I  saw  that  Marian  had  fallen  into  the  stream 
from  a  projecting  point  on  which  she  had  been  stand- 
ing, and  that  she  was  being  rapidly  hurried  down  by 
the  current.  What  also  was  my  unspeakable  horror, 
when,  almost  at  the  same  moment  I  caught  sight  of  a 
huge  alligator,  which,  with  open  jaws,  rose  to  the  sur- 
face, and  was  making  directly  for  her  !      I  shrieked  out 


302  TIM  ON  THE  ALLIGATOR  S  BACK. 

to  Kallolo,  who  had  at  the  same  instant  caught  sig-ht 
of  the  creature.  Quick  as  lightning  he  fixed  an 
arrow  to  his  bow,  which  he  sent  with  unerring  aim 
into  the  monster's  eye.  It  had  the  effect  he  hoped 
for, — it  made  the  alligator  turn  aside ;  and  apparently 
blinded,  and  unable  to  see  where  it  was  going,  it  darted 
up  close  to  the  bank.  Tim  and  Sambo,  seeing  it  com- 
ing, had  sprung  on  to  a  tree  which  overhung  the 
stream.  Then  Tim,  instigated  by  an  impulse  for  which 
he  himself  probably  could  not  have  accounted,  leaped 
directly  down  on  the  creature's  back,  and  digging 
the  fingers  of  his  left  hand  into  its  remaining  eye, 
began  so  furiously  to  belabour  it  with  a  thick  club  he 
held  in  his  right  hand,  that  the  astonished  saurian 
dashed  off*  through  the  water,  madly  lashing  it  into 
masses  of  foam  with  its  huge  tail.  Under  other  cir- 
cumstances I  should  have  trembled  for  the  gallant 
Tim's  safety,  but  for  the  moment  I  could  think  of 
nothing  but  the  fearful  danger  to  which  my  dear  young 
sister  was  exposed.  I  am  very  sure  that  it  was  the 
idea  that  he  might  help  to  save  Marian  which  prompted 
him  to  the  performance  of  the  unexampled  act  of  hero- 
ism. It  may,  however,  be  considered  an  Irish  way  of 
proceeding,  as  he  would  certainly  have  rendered  her 
more  service  by  swimming  out  and  supporting  her. 
As  soon  as  I  had  recovered  from  my  terror,  which  for 
the  moment  almost  deprived  me  of  reason,  I  leaped 
into  the  current  and  swam  towards  her. 


Marian's    fearful     position. 


STRENUOUS  EFFOllTS.  305 

Though  at  first  ahnost  paralyzed  with  fear,  she  had 
recovered  her  presence  of  mind,  and  had  begun  to  strike 
out,  so  as  to  support  herself  above  water.  I  swam 
with  all  my  might  to  overtake  her,  dreading  every 
moment  lest  another  alligator  should  appear  and  seize 
one  or  both  of  us.  The  shouts  and  cries  of  the  men, 
however,  and  the  furious  disturbance  of  the  water 
caused  by  the  monster  Tim  bestrode,  effectually  pre- 
vented any  other  from  venturing  out  of  its  hiding-place ; 
and  therefore  I  believe  Tim  rendered  us  effectual  aid. 

Now  up  the  stream,  now  across  from  one  side  to 
the  other,  the  alligator  and  his  rider  dashed  at  a  tre- 
mendous speed.  The  creature  would  have  dived  had 
not  Tim,  exerting  all  his  strength,  held  back  its  head, 
thus  keeping  its  jaws  open,  and  preventing  it  from 
plunging.  All  this  time  Tim  had  been  shouting  to 
Sambo  to  come  and  join  him  on  the  creature's  back, 
and  to  the  Indians  to  shoot  at  it  again  ;  but  Sambo, 
thouo'h  a  brave  fellow,  not  havinp^  been  accustomed  to 
steeple-chasing  in  his  youth,  had  no  fancy  for  such  a 
ride  ;  and  the  Indians  well  knew  that  their  arrows 
would  glance  harmlessly  off  the  scaly  back  of  the 
saurian,  or  that  they  were  more  likely  rather  to  wound 
brave  Tim  himself  Still  Tim  held  on  in  a  way  a 
pi-actised  fox-hunter  could  alone  have  done,  hitting 
now  on  the  monster's  jaws,  now  behind  him,  and  now 
on  its  side.  It  was  a  question  who  would  first  get 
tired,  the  Irishman  o]-  the  alligator. 

:o40i  20 


30G  ALMOST  SINKING. 

Meantime  I  had  got  close  to  Marian,  and  knowing  the 
importance  of  keeping  up  as  much  noise  as  possible,  I 
shouted  and  shrieked,  telling  her  to  do  the  same, 
while  Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur  were  making  the  most 
strenuous  efforts  with  their  paddles  to  reach  us.  It  was 
important,  indeed,  that  they  should  do  so,  for  Marian  s 
strength,  overcome  by  her  terror,  was  rapidly  failing 
her.  I  did  my  utmost  to  keep  her  head  above  water  ; 
for  I  am  very  sure  had  she  been  alone  she  must  have 
sunk.  The  Indians,  seeing  Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur 
coming  to  our  assistance,  and  knowing  that  I  was  a 
good  swimmer,  hastened  up  the  bank  with  Sambo  to 
aid  Tim:  for  they  saw  that  should  the  alligator  hold 
out  much  longer,  he  would  be  compelled  to  let  go  its 
head  ;  in  which  case  it  would  have  immediately  dived 
to  the  bottom,  and  very  probably  have  given  him  a  fatal 
blow  with  its  tail,  or  drao^ored  him  down  alono^  with  it. 

As  I  looked  at  Marian's  countenance,  I  saw  that  it 
was  becoming  very  pale.  Her  terror  and  the  efforts  she 
had  made  had  completely  overcome  her.  She  fainted 
away.  Still  I  kept  her  up,  striking  the  water  with 
my  feet ;  for  I  could  do  no  more.  The  current  bore  us 
rapidly  down,  and  as  I  looked  at  the  raft  I  feared  that 
we  should  be  swept  past  it.  I  knew  that  there  was 
no  use  calling  out  to  my  friends,  for  they  were  already 
doing  their  very  utmost.  Those  were  indeed  awful 
moments.  The  shouts  and  shrieks  of  Tim  and  the 
Indians  sounding   in  my  ears,  I   knew  that  they  could 


TIM     BEATING     THE     ALLIGATOR. 


SAFE  ON  THE  RAFT.  309 

not  be  far  off  I  could  even  hear  the  noise  made  by 
the  alligator  as  it  furiously  lashed  the  water  with  its 
tail ;  and  I  expected  every  moment  that  it  would  rush 
down  toward  us,  and  perhaps  strike  us  in  its  mad 
course,  or  dash  against  the  raft  and  upset  it.  I  dared 
not  look  around,  but  kept  my  eye  on  the  raft,  and  with 
my  right  hand  (for  the  left  arm  sustained  Marian)  I 
endeavoured  to  direct  my  course  towards  it.  My 
great  dread  was  that  the  shock  she  had  received 
would  prove  too  much  for  her,  and  that  she  would 
succumb  to  it.  Every  moment  she  pressed  more 
heavily  on  my  arm.  My  own  strength,  too,  I  felt, 
was  failing  me.  Still  I  was  encouraged  by  seeing 
Uncle  Paul  and  Arthur  coming  nearer  and  nearer  ; 
but  even  close  though  they  were,  there  was  still  a 
possibility  that  Marian  would  slip  from  my  grasp. 
My  anxiety  became  almost  greater  than  I  could 
bear  :  a  dimness  came  over  my  eyes — I  was  sinking. 
Then  I  felt  that  Marian  was  no  longer  on  my  arm. 
The  next  moment  my  hand  was  on  the  side  of  the 
raft,  and  I  was  safe  in  Uncle  Paul's  strong  grasp.  He 
was  kneeling  with  Marian  in  his  arms.  I  pressed  my 
lips  to  hers  to  recall  her  to  life.  She  opened  her  eyes, 
— my  heart  bounded  with  joy.  She  was  still  deadly 
pale,  but  she  gently  smiled,  saying  faintly,  ''I  shall 
soon  be  well,  Guy." 

"  Yes,  yes  ;  our  little  maiden  is  safe,  and  will  quickly 
be    all    right!"    exclaimed    Uncle    Paul,    though    the 


310  THE  ALLIGATOR  CONQUEKED. 

tremor  in  his  voice  showed  that  he  had  not  even  yet 
recovered  from  the  fearful  agitation  he  had  experienced 
at  seeino^  our  dano^er. 

From  the  time  we  had  got  on  board  the  raft,  Arthur 
had  been  paddling  with  might  and  main  to  regain  the 
shore,  where  it  now  floated  calmly  out  of  the  strength 
of  the  current.  Having  somew^hat  recovered,  I  was 
able  to  watch  Tim  and  his  strange  steed.  Whenever 
the  alligator  showed  an  inclination  to  go  either  up  the 
stream  or  down  to  the  lake,  Tim  turned  it  with  a  fierce 
blow  of  his  shillalagh  ;  and  thus  kept  it  moving  back- 
wards and  forwards  between  the  two  banks. 

The  Indians  and  Sambo  had  now  got  directly  opposite 
the  spot  it  generally  reached  in  its  rapid  circuit,  Kallolo 
carefully  watching  the  movements  of  the  monster  while 
his  companions  were  hastily  cutting  some  long  and 
tough  trailing  vines  hanging  from  a  neighbouring  tree. 

"  Bear  a  hand  !  bear  a  hand,  or  sure  I  will  be 
after  riding  to  '  Davy  Jones's  locker '  sooner  than  will 
be  altogether  pleasant ! "  shouted  Tim,  gasping  for 
breath. 

"  Keep  up  its  head  !  keep  up  its  head  I  "  cried  the 
Indians  in  return, —  a  piece  of  advice  Tim  fully  in- 
tended to  follow  as  long  as  he  had  the  powei*. 

At  length  the  alligator  came  directly  towards  Kallolo, 
who  at  that  moment  drawing  his  bow  sent  a  poisoned 
arrow  directly  down  its  throat.  The  alligator,  feeling 
the  pain,  turned  round,  and  again  dashed  across  the 


MARIAN      SAVED. 


THE  MONSTER  DRAGGED  ON  SHORE.  313 

stream  ;  but  once  more  Tim  managed  to  turn  it  with 
his  well-dealt  blows,  and  again  it  dashed  back  to  the 
bank,  close  to  where  Kallolo  stood.  Throwing  down 
his  bow  and  quiver,  the  Indian,  apparently  doubting 
whether  the  poison  would  produce  its  usual  effects  on 
the  monster,  sprang  forward  into  the  water  and  drove 
his  knife  directly  into  its  breast.  As  he  did  so  it 
gave  another  fierce  lash  with  its  tail,  but  it  was  the 
last.  The  Indian  drew  out  his  knife,  ready  to  repeat 
the  blow,  but  there  was  no  necessity  for  him  to  strike ; 
the  alligator  rolled  over  from  side  to  side,  its  head 
dropping  in  spite  of  Tim's  efforts  to  keep  it  up. 

"  Jump  off,  or  it  will  carry  you  to  the  bottom  !  " 
cried  Kallolo  ;  who  then,  turning  round,  shouted  to  his 
companions  to  bring  the  rope.  They  came  hurrying  to 
the  spot  with  a  ready-made  noose,  which  they  dex- 
terously slipped  over  the  monster's  head,  Tim  at  the 
same  moment,  springing  on  its  back,  leaped  from  thence 
to  the  shore. 

"  I  have  mounted  many  a  skittish  horse  when  I 
was  a  spalpeen  of  a  lad,  but  never  in  all  my  born  days 
have  I  ridden  so  ill-mannered  a  baste ;  and  sure  I 
hope  as  long  as  I  live  that  I  may  not  have  to  break  in 
such  another  as  this  one,"  exclaimed  the  Irishman. 

The  Indians,  while  Tim  was  speaking,  were  getting 
read}''  their  ropes,  which  they  managed  to  slip  round 
the  monster's  fore-legs  ;  then,  all  hands  hauling  away, 
they  dragged  it  by  slow  degrees  up  the  bank.      As  its 


314  TIxM  S  JOY  AT  SEEING  MARIAN  SAFE. 

struggles  were  not  over,  the  task  was  not  so  easy  as  it 
would  have  been  had  it  been  unable  to  offer  any  re- 
sistance. Its  jaws  continued  to  open,  showing  its 
captors  that  it  would  be  wise  to  keep  at  a  respectable 
distance.  Kallolo,  however,  who  did  not  fear  to  face 
it  in  the  water,  did  not  hesitate  to  rush  in  and  give 
it  several  additional  stabs. 

Tim's  mind  had  been  so  entirely  occupied  with  the 
strange  situation  in  which  he  found  himself,  that  he 
had  almost  forgotten  the  cause  which  first  prompted 
him  to  leap  on  the  monster's  back.  As  soon,  however, 
as  he  was  again  on  his  feet,  he  recollected  all  about  the 
matter,  and  seeing  Marian  and  me  on  the  raft,  with 
wild  shouts  he  came  rushing  towards  us,  exhibiting, 
by  the  most  vehement  gestures  and  extraordinary 
antics,  his  delight  at  our  safety. 

"  Sure  and  she's  safe,  the  darling  Miss  Marian  1  " 
he  cried  out  as  he  sprang  on  board  the  raft;  "and  the 
brute  of  an  alligator  has  not  eaten  her,  as  I  was  fear- 
ing he  would  have  been  after  doing.  It's  a  mighty 
fine  counthry  this,  but  it  would  be  all  the  better  if  it 
was  as  free  of  them  creatures  as  Ould  Ireland  is  of 
snakes  and  sarpents, — blessings  on  the  head  of  St. 
Patrick  who  drove  them  all  out." 

After  he  had  calmed  down  a  little.  Uncle  Paul 
directed  him  to  take  one  of  the  paddles  and  to  assist 
in  navigating  the  raft  home,  while  he  himself  attended 
to  Marian.      He  was  anxious  to  get  her  safely  on  shore, 


UNCLE  PAULS  ANXIETY.  315 

arfd  placed  in  her  cot,  where  she  might  enjoy  that  rest 
she  so  much  required.  He  and  I  sat  by  her  side 
chafing  her  feet  and  hands.  We  wished  that  we  had 
had  some  of  the  skipper's  schiedam  to  give  to  her  ; 
but  Uncle  Paul  had  brought  none  with  him,  and  we 
could  think  of  no  other  remedies  than  those  we  were 
already  applying.  The  sun  striking  down  on  us  with 
its  usual  force,  she  did  not  feel  any  bad  effects  from 
being  wet.  The  colour  gradually  returned  to  her 
cheeks,  and  we  trusted  that  she  would  not  suffer 
materially  from  the  accident.  Arthur  and  Tim  exerted 
themselves  to  the  utmost  to  urge  on  the  raft.  We 
had  no  difficulty  in  getting  out  of  the  river,  as  the 
current  carried  us  rapidly  down  to  its  mouth.  We 
then  made  good  progress  along  the  shore. 

Uncle  Paul  felt  even  more  anxious  about  Marian 
than  I  did.  I  had  never  seen  him  so  affected.  As 
she  lay  in  his  arms,  he  bent  over  her,  uttering  endearing 
expressions.  ''  Cheer  up,  my  little  maiden,"  he  said  ; 
•*  we  shall  soon  be  at  home,  and  you  will  be  all  put 
right.  We  must  not  let  you  run  such  a  risk  again. 
These  wilds  are  not  suited  for  young  girls  to  wander 
through  alone,  and  you  must  remain  in  the  encamp- 
ment till  we  get  our  new  craft  ready  for  sea." 

"  I  am  not  much  frightened,  and  shall  soon  be  quite 
myself  again,  I  assure  you,"  said  Marian  faintly. 
''Still  I  cannot  help  thinking  about  that  dreadful 
alligator.      It  won't  come  after  us,  will  it  ?  " 


316  RETURN  HOME  ON  THE  RAFT. 

"  The  young  mistress  need  not  be  afraid  of  that,  un- 
less the  baste  has  more  lives  than  a  Kilkenny  cat,"  ob- 
served Tim,  who  had  overheard  her.  "  It's  my  belief 
that  I'd  have  ridden  the  brute  to  death,  even  if  Kallolo 
hadn't  sent  an  arrow  down  its  throat  and  stuck  his 
lonoj  knife  half  a  dozen  times  in  it.  The  alliorator  is 
hauled  up  high  and  dry  on  shore,  and  the  creature's 
ugly  head  is  off  its  body  by  this  time  ;  so  you  may  be 
pretty  sure  that  it'll  not  be  after  troubling  you 
again." 

Tim's  account  had  at  all  events  the  effect  of  banish- 
in  s^  from  Marian's  mind  the  idea  that  the  alliofator 
would  follow  us  ;  and  Uncle  Paul  and  I  did  our  best 
to  keep  up  her  spirits  too,  and  prevent  her  thoughts 
from  recurring  to  the  fearful  danger  she  had  gone 
through. 

The  time  occupied  in  reaching  our  camp  seemed 
very  long ;  but  Marian  was  conveyed  much  more 
easily  on  the  raft  than  she  would  have  been  through 
the  tansrled  forest.  Our  father  saw  us  cominof,  and 
hurrying  down  to  the  beach,  assisted  us  in  carrying  up 
Marian  to  her  hut.  When  he  heard  what  had  occurred, 
he  was  greatly  agitated,  and  blamed  himself  for  having 
allowed  her  to  go  on  such  an  expedition.  He  agreed 
with  Uncle  Paul  that  she  must  not  in  future  be  per- 
mitted to  leave  the  village  without  an  escort,  which 
must  never  for  a  moment  quit  her  side. 

The  captain,  who  had   been  working  at  the  vessel. 


THE  captain's  SPECIFIC.  317 

hearing  of  the  accident,  came  hurrying  to  the  hut 
with  a  bottle  of  schiedam  under  his  arm.  "  My  little 
maid  !  what  should  we  have  done  had  she  been  seized 
by  the  alligator  ?  We  should  have  lost  all  heart  for 
work,  and  left  our  bones  to  whiten  on  the  beach  !  "  he 
exclaimed  in  an  agitated  voice,  which  showed  how 
much  he  felt.  "  She  must  take  some  of  this  :  it's  the 
great  remedy  for  all  diseases  ;  and  I  have  kept  it  on 
purpose,  resisting  the  temptation,  when  I  felt  inclined 
to  take  a  drop  to  comfort  my  heart  as  I  thought  of 
my  home,  and  my  dear  frau,  and  the  months  and 
months  that  must  pass  before  I  can  see  her  again." 

Uncle  Paul  gave  Marian  a  small  glassful  of  the 
schiedam,  which  undoubtedly  had  the  good  effect  of 
sending  her  off  into  a  sound  sleep. 

In  a  short  time  the  Indians  arrived  with  the  head 
of  the  alligator,  which  they  and  Sambo  proposed  to 
preserve,  in  order,  the  latter  said,  to  make  a  figure- 
head for  the  new  vessel ! 

"  We  will  think  about  it,"  answered  Uncle  Paul. 
"  I  doubt  whether  it  would  bring  pleasant  recollections 
to  the  mind  of  our  little  maiden.  At  any  rate,  we  will 
carry  it  with  us  on  board,  and  perhaps  in  after  years 
she  may  be  less  unwilling  to  look  at  it  than  at  present, 
when  she  may  exhibit  it  to  another  generation  as  she 
describes  our  adventures  in  the  wilds  of  the  Orinoco." 


CHAPTER  XT^T. 

oatture  of  a  young  macaw— the  pottery  manufactory  and  other  em- 
ployments  the    india-rubber  or    seringa  tree how  uncle  paul 

made  our  shoes the  iguana capture  a  curassow  and  a  tapir  — 

Marian's  encounter  with  the  labarri  snake — a  laughable  scene. 

jXJACKO  and  Ara,  though  the  only  idle  mem- 
bers on  our  estate,  were,  contrary  to  the 
usual  rule,  perfectly  happy,  and  certainly 
afforded  us  all  constant  amusement.  Tim 
observed  that  they  were  growing  conceited, 
and  thought  too  much  of  themselves.  He  proposed, 
therefore,  to  try  to  catch  a  few  more  pets,  in  order  to 
teach  them  to  behave  properly,  and  to  show  them  that 
they  were  not  of  so  much  importance  as  they  were  in- 
clined to  suppose.  Tim,  whenever  he  could  get  away 
from  work,  was  fond  of  making  exploring  expeditions 
on  either  side  of  the  settlement.  He  had  discovered, 
not  far  off,  the  roosting-place  of  a  flock  of  macaws,  and 
had  determined  to  capture  one.  I  reminded  him  of 
the  way  Arthur  and  I  had  been  attacked  when  we 
had  attempted  to  rob  their  nests  on  Grove  Island. 

"To  be  sure,  Master  Guy  ;   but  it  will  be  a  very 
different  matter  here,"  he  answered.      '*  We  shall  be  on 


A  MACAW  CAPTURED.  319 

firm  ground,  and  able  to  use  our  legs  if  they  attack  us; 
for,  as  you  see,  they  are  all  perched  up  on  the  trees, 
and  will  not  be  inclined  to  come  off  for  the  sake  of 
looking  after  a  friend  or  two  who  may  tumble  to  the 
ground." 

Tim  had  told  Kallolo  of  his  intention,  and  we  all 
set  off  together,  Kallolo  with  his  blow-pipe,  Tim  and 
I  with  our  bows  and  arrows.  Tim,  in  addition,  carried 
a  long  mat  fastened  at  one  end,  a  string  being  drawn 
through  the  other.  Kallolo  told  us,  as  he  went  alonir, 
that  had  he  possessed  some  salt  he  should  have  had 
no  difficulty  in  catching  as  many  macaws  alive  as  we 
might  wish  for;  but  as  yet  we  had  not  discovered  that 
necessary  of  life. 

We  soon  reached  the  birds'  roosting-place  ;  but  no 
sooner  did  they  see  us  than,  contrary  to  Tim's  expec- 
tations, they  all  arose  and  began  circling  round  our 
heads,  screaming  vociferously.  Kallolo,  looking  on 
calmly,  did  not  shoot.  Tim  and  I  let  fly  a  couple  of 
arrows,  but  both  missed.  At  last  the  birds  began  to 
settle  down,  and  I  again  shot  an  arrow,  when  down 
tumbled  a  young  macaw.  The  missile  had  passed 
through  its  wing.  Away  it  scuttled,  uttering  loud 
shrieks  from  pain  and  terror.  Tim  and  I  made  chase, 
he  holding  the  mat  with  the  joined  part  in  front  ready 
to  throw  over  the  bird.  We  quickly  overtook  it,  when, 
finding  that  it  could  not  escape,  it  turned  round  and 
did   battle  bravely  for  its   liberty,  attempting  to  bite 


320  OUR  VILLAGE  COMPLETED. 

our  legs  with  its  sharp  beak ;  but  Tim's  sack  was 
speedily  over  it,  and  drawing  the  string,  he  had  it  a 
close  prisoner.  Meantime  Kallolo  had  brought  down 
three  of  its  companions  with  his  deadly  blow-pipe. 
Though  they  struggled  at  first,  they  speedily  succumbed 
to  the  effects  of  the  poison,  and  w^ere  tied  by  the  feet 
and  slung  over  his  back. 

Laden  with  our  prizes  we  returned  homewards.  The 
dead  birds  were  at  once  stripped  of  their  feathers, 
spitted,  and  placed  before  the  fire  to  roast  for  supper  ; 
for  had  they  been  allowed  to  cool  they  would  have 
proved  somewhat  tough,  but  treated  as  they  were  they 
were  perfectly  tender.  The  live  macaw  was  allowed 
to  remain  in  the  bag  all  night,  when  its  spirit  being 
somewhat  quelled  by  hunger,  we  gave  it  some  nuts, 
which  it  took  readily  ;  and  in  the  course  of  the  day  it 
consented  to  come  out  and  get  a  string  tied  round  its 
leg.  At  night  it  went  to  roost ;  and  by  the  next 
morning  it  was  perfectly  tame,  and  willingly  took  the 
fruit  and  nuts  offered  it.  Its  plumage  was  blue  and 
yellow  ;  and  though  not  so  pretty  as  some  of  its  more 
gaily  coloured  relatives,  as  its  temper  improved  it 
became  a  great  favourite. 

We  had  by  this  time  erected  a  complete  village  of 
huts.  The  good  captain  and  his  mate,  that  we  might 
have  more  room,  had  built  one  for  themselves.  Tim 
and  Sambo  put  up  another,  and  the  three  Indians 
erected  a  fifth.      They  had  no  pretensions  to  architec- 


OUR  SHIP-BUILDING  PROGRESS.  321 

tural  beauty,  but  were  quite  sufficient  for  all  the  sheltei- 
required  in  that  warm  climate.  For  our  dining-hall  we 
had  an  open  shed,  where  we  were  sheltered  from  the 
rays  of  the  sun.  We  were  also  making  good  progress 
with  the  vessel :  the  stem  and  the  stern,  with  several 
ribs,  had  already  been  fixed.  Cutting  out  the  ribs 
with  the  scanty  tools  we  possessed  was  a  slow  process ; 
and  a  Dutchman  alone  could  have  conceived  the  possi- 
bility of  succeeding  in  such  an  undertaking,  with  the 
numerous  difficulties  to  be  encountered. 

"Never  fear,  my  friends;  we  will  do  it,"  the 
skipper  was  continually  saying.  ''  Only  take  care  not 
to  break  the  axes.  If  we  do,  we  shall  have  to  work 
with  our  knives.  But  remember  it  could  be  done 
even  then  ;  only  we  should  be  much  longer  about  the 
job.      *  Slow  and  steady  wins  the  race.'  " 

Slow  our  work  certainly  was,  but  every  day  saw 
some  progress.  While  the  captain  and  Peter  were 
working  at  the  timber,  the  rest  of  us  w^ere  smoothing 
down  the  planks  ;  and  we  had  now  a  large  pile  ready 
to  fix  on  as  soon  as  the  ribs  were  set  up.  My  father, 
Marian,  and  I  were  improving  in  the  manufacture  of 
mattinof.  We  could  not,  however,  make  it  of  sufficient 
strength  for  the  sails  ;  still,  the  material  we  manufac- 
tured would  serve  to  form  a  roof  for  the  cabin,  or  it 
might  do  for  kilts  or  for  cloaks. 

We  had  established  several  other  manufactories. 
A.  pottery  was  the  first.      Fortunately,  we  had  found 

(540)  21 


J22  POTTERY  MANUFACTURED. 


some  clay  well  adapted  for  our  purpose ;  and  my 
father  was  acquainted  with  the  principles  of  the  art 
and  the  mode  of  working.  A  small  kiln  was  first 
put  up  ;  and  we  then,  kneading  our  clay,  formed  it  into 
vessels  of  various  shapes  and  sizes.  Our  great  object 
was  to  burn  some  sufficiently  hard  to  serve  for  cooking 
purposes.  We  cracked  a  good  many,  and  it  must  be 
confessed  they  were  all  somewhat  rough  and  unshapely; 
but  we  improved  in  that  respect,  and  eventually  suc- 
ceeded in  producing  several  pots  which  stood  the  fire 
remarkably  well.  At  Uncle  Paul's  desire,  we  also 
formed  a  number  of  small  cups,  though  he  did  not  at 
the  time  tell  us  for  what  object  he  required  them. 

He  had  not  forgotten  his  promise  to  supply  us  with 
shoes  when  ours  should  be  worn  out.  We  had  for 
some  time  been  going  about  with  bare  feet.  We  found 
it,  however,  both  painful  and  dangerous  to  wander 
through  the  forest  with  our  feet  unprotected.  I  re- 
minded him  one  day  of  what  he  had  undertaken  to  do. 

"  I  have  not  forgotten  it,  and  will  at  once  fulfil  my 
promise,"  he  answered.  ''  Come  with  me  into  the 
forest ;  before  we  start,  however,  you  must  pack  up 
the  small  pots  you  made  at  my  request  the  other  day." 

"  What  are  they  for  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  You  shall  see  when  we  arrive  at  the  manufactory," 
he  answered. 

We  set  out  towards  the  west.  After  having  pro- 
ceeded some  way  we  found,  scattered   here  and  there 


SERINGA  TREES.  323 

among  the  other  trees,  a  number  of  trees  of  great 
heioht,  and  from  two  to  three  feet  in  diameter.  The 
trunks  Avere  round  and  strong,  and  the  bark  of  a  light 
colour,  and  not  very  smooth.  Their  summits  did  not 
spread  wide,  but  their  appearance  was  especially  beauti- 
ful, from  their  long,  thin  leaves,  which  grew  in  clusters 
of  three  together,  and  were  of  an  ovate  shape,  the 
centre  one  rather  more  than  a  foot  in  length,  the  others 
a  little  shorter. 

"  These  are  seringa  trees,"  said  Uncle  Paul,  pointing 
them  out.  "It  is  with  the  sap  which  proceeds  from 
them  that  I  purpose  to  manufacture  our  shoes." 

I  stared  with  astonishment,  for  I  saw  that  he  was 
not  joking.  He  now  took  the  pots,  to  which  strings 
had  been  fastened,  and  secured  two  or  three  to  each 
tree  by  small  pegs,  which  he  took  out  of  his  pocket. 
Above  each  peg  he  made  a  deep  incision  with  his  stone 
axe,  and  almost  immediately  a  milky  substance  began 
to  ooze  out  and  drop  into  the  pots.  Taking  some 
himself,  he  bade  me  taste  it,  assuring  me  that  it  was 
perfectly  harmless.  Its  taste  was  agreeable, — much 
like  sweetened  cream,  which  it  resembled   in  colour. 

We  went  on  from  tree  to  tree,  cutting  deeply  into 
the  bark  of  each,  and  hanging  up  our  pots  till  we 
had  exhausted  all  we  carried.  This  being  done,  all 
hands  under  his  direction  set  to  work  to  build  a  hut ; 
and  he  then  bade  the  Indians  search  for  a  nut  of  a 
peculiar  palm  which  was  required  for  the  operation. 


324  OUR  NEW  MANUFACTORY. 

These  preliminary  operations  being  concluded,  we 
returned  to  the  settlement,  where  Uncle  Paul  set  us  to 
work  to  form  several  lasts  suited  to  the  size  of  the  feet 
of  the  different  members  of  the  party.  He  made  a  pair 
for  Marian ;  but  the  rest  of  us,  he  said,  must  be  content 
with  shoes  of  the  same  shape  for  both  feet ;  and  though 
very  rough,  and  not  very  well  shaped,  they  would 
answer  our  purpose.  We  had  not  time  to  bestow  much 
labour  on  them. 

Next  morning  we  again  set  out,  carrying  this  time 
a  couple  of  large  bowls,  which.  Uncle  Paul  said,  would 
be  required.  On  arriving  at  the  hut,  he  placed  one  of 
them  on  the  ground,  and  then  piled  up  inside  the  hut  a 
number  of  the  palm-nuts  collected  on  the  previous  day. 
Having  surrounded  them  with  stones,  he  placed  the 
bowl,  in  the  bottom  of  which  a  hole  had  been  made, 
in  an  inverted  position  on  the  top  of  them.  We  next 
went  out  to  collect  the  pots  we  had  hung  up  on  the 
seringa  trees.  They  were  all  full  of  juice,  and  were 
brought  to  the  hut  and  emptied  into  the  other  bowl. 
This  done,  we  took  the  pots  back  and  hung  them  up 
again.  The  lasts  we  now  smeared  with  clay,  of  which 
some  had  been  found  at  hand.  The  nuts  were  lighted, 
and  a  dense  white  smoke  ascended  through  the  hole 
in  the  bottom  of  the  bowl.  One  of  the  lasts,  to  which 
wooden  handles  had  been  fixed,  we  now  dipped  into 
the  bowl  of  india-rubber  juice  ;  and  when  it  was  drawn 
out,  a  thin  layer  of  juice  was  found  adhering  to  it.      On 


INDIA-RUBBER  SHOES.  325 

beino'  held  over  the  smoke  this  quickly  dried,  and  be- 
came rather  darker  than  at  first.  The  process  was 
repeated  a  dozen  times,  till  the  shoe  was  of  sufficient 
thickness  ;  care  being  taken  to  give  a  greater  number 
of  coatings  to  the  sole.  We  found,  after  a  little  time, 
that  the  various  operations  required  about  five  minutes, 
— then  the  shoe  was  complete.  One  after  another  the 
lasts  were  dipped  in  the  same  way  ;  and  the  shoes  were 
then  hung  on  cross  sticks  which  had  been  put  up  out- 
side the  hut,  that  they  might  be  exposed  to  the  sun. 
There  being  no  risk  of  our  shoes  being  stolen,  we  left 
them,  and  returned  home  as  before,  having  plenty  of 
occupation  for  the  rest  of  the  day. 

Next  moi-ning  we  went  back  to  the  hut,  and  having 
collected  the  juice  which  had  in  the  meantime  trickled 
into  the  pots,  we  finished  off  the  shoes  which  had  been 
made  on  the  previous  day;  and  having  scored  the  soles 
to  prevent  them  from  slipping,  we  cut  them  off"  the  lasts, 
w^hich  were  thus  ready  again  for  use.  We  now  manu- 
factured some  more  shoes  and  left  them  to  dry,  carrying 
with  us  those  which  had  just  been  finished.  Marian 
was  delighted  with  hers,  which  were  very  soft  and 
elastic,  though  they  would  not  do  to  walk  far  in. 

We  had  now  not  only  the  means  of  making  shoes, 
but  bottles  and  cups  ;  and  Uncle  Paul  even  thought  of 
manufacturing  a  material  which  would  serve  instead  of 
cloth,  and  might  be  formed  into  cloaks  and  kilts,  if  not 
trousers — thoucrh,  as  he  had  no  substance  to  lay  it  on. 


326  CAPTURE  OF  AN  IGL'ANA. 

lie  was  afraid  that  it  would  easily  tear.  We  agreed, 
however,  that,  except  in  rainy  weather,  the  matting 
was  likely  to  prove  the  more  useful  article. 

We  were  returning  from  our  india-i-ubber  manufac- 
tory the  next  da}',  when  we  saw  an  object  moving 
among  the  boughs  of  a  tree  at  no  gi^eat  distance  from 
us.      Tim  ran  forward  to  ascertain  what  it  was. 

"  Arrah  now,  if  it's  not  a  live  alligator,  I  don't  know 
what  it  is,"  he  exclaimed.  "  It's  my  belief  that  the 
baste  has  climbed  up  into  the  tree  that  he  may  pounce 
down  upon  us  as  we  pass  by." 

"  No  fear  of  that,"  answered  Uncle  Paul.  "  Alliga- 
tors, although  they  venture  out  of  the  water,  never  go 
far  from  it.  The  creature  you  see,  large  as  it  looks, 
is  only  an  iguana,  a  sort  of  lizard  which  lives  in  ti^ees  ; 
and  though  it  is  ugly  to  look  at,  it  is  said  to  be  very 
good  to  eat,  so  we  will  try  to  get  the  gentleman." 

On  getting  under  the  tree,  we  saw  what  certainly 
looked  like  a  huo-e  lizard,  about  four  feet  in  lenolh^  in- 
eluding  its  long  tail.  The  tree  not  being  a  large  one, 
we  shook  it,  when  down  came  the  creature  to  the 
ground.  In  spite  of  its  rather  formidable  appearance, 
Tim  dashed  boldly  forward  and  caught  it  by  the  neck 
and  the  small  of  the  back,  and  held  it  fast.  It  lashed 
about  very  fiercely  with  its  tail,  its  only  weapon  of 
defence,  as  its  teeth,  though  numerous,  were  small. 
Uncle  Paul  having  formed  a  noose,  slipped  it  over  the 
creature's  head  and  told  me  to  hold  it  tio-ht  while  he 


OUR  CAPTIVE  SHOWS  FIGHT.  327 

made  another,  which  he  dexterously  threw  over  its 
tail.  Tim  and  I  then  going  ahead  began  to  drag  it 
along ;  and  though  it  made  some  resistance,  we  at 
length  got  it  to  the  settlement. 

As  we  knew  that  Marian  would  like  to  see  it  alive, 
Uncle  Paul  went  to  call  her.  The  creature,  with  its 
huge  dew-lap,  ugly  face,  long  claws,  and  row  of  spines 
on  its  back,  looked  indeed  truly  formidable.  Marian, 
who  with  Arthur  and  our  father  soon  came,  recollect- 
ing all  about  the  alligator,  cried  out  under  the  idea 
that  it  might  break  loose  and  attack  us.  Just  at 
that  moment  the  after-rope,  which  Tim  was  holding 
loosely,  slipped  off  the  tail  of  the  creature ;  when  find- 
ing that  member  at  liberty,  it  began  to  lash  about  Avith 
it  on  every  side.  Tim  thoughtlessly  rushed  forward 
to  seize  it ;  but  it  o-ave  him  a  cut  on  the  lepf,  which 
brought  him  to  the  ground  howling  with  pain  ;  and  had 
not  Uncle  Paul  hauled  him  out  of  the  creature's  way, 
he  might  have  received  a  still  more  serious  blow.  As 
it  showed  an  inclination  to  inflict  further  damage,  Sambo 
coming  up  speedily  despatched  it  by  a  blow  on  the  head. 
Ugly  as  it  looked,  he  assured  us  that  it  would  afford 
us  most  delicious  food  ;  and  at  dinner-time  we  found  his 
prediction  amply  fulfilled.  We  had  become  so  accus- 
tomed to  eat  odd-lookinof  creatures,  that  however  re- 
pulsive  the  appearance  of  an  animal,  we  never  hesitated 
to  try  it;  and  we  agreed  that  we  should  have  no  objection 
to  eat  another  iguana  as  soon  as  one  could  be  caught. 


328  THE  CRESTED  CUEASSOW. 

Kallolo  was  our  chief  hunter  ;  and  Arthur  and  I, 
when  w^e  could  spare  time  from  our  regular  work,  were 
glad,  for  the  sake  of  variety,  to  go  out  with  him.  We 
were  walkiner  alon^:  the  shore  of  the  lake,  when  from 
the  top  of  a  low  tree  a  huge  bird,  its  plumage  chiefly 
black,  with  a  crest  of  curled  feathers  on  its  head  and  a 
white  breast,  flew  ofl*  over  the  water. 

''  We  have  lost  the  bird,  but  we  wnll  try  to  find 
something  instead,"  said  Kallolo,  giving  me  his  blow- 
pipe and  bow  to  hold.  He  then  climbed  up  the  tree 
till  he  reached  the  bird's  nest,  from  which  he  extracted 
two  eggs,  and  brought  them  down  safely.  They  were 
considerably  larger  than  a  duck's  Qgg,  white  and 
granulated  all  over,  though  the  bird  itself  did  not  ap- 
pear to  be  above  the  size  of  an  ordinary  duck.  It 
was,  I  found,  a  crested  curassow^  The  eggs  being 
newly  laid  were  very  palatable.  Kallolo  then  ascended 
the  tree  again  and  laid  a  snare,  hoping  to  catch  the 
h«n-bird  ;  which,  he  said,  might  become  domesticated, 
if  carefully  treated. 

As  we  were  going  through  the  forest  shortly  after- 
Avards  I  heard  a  rustlino^  sound  among  the  underwood, 
and  saw,  close  ahead  of  me,  a  dark-skinned  creature 
about  the  size  of  a  calf  rush  on  towards  the  water. 
Its  head,  of  w^hich  I  caught  a  glimpse,  was  peculiarly 
long,  with  a  proboscis-like  snout.  I  guessed  from  this 
that  the  animal  was  a  tapir.  Calling  to  Kallolo,  I  told 
hiui  what  I  had  seen.     He  came  up,  and  examining  the 


A  STRATAGEM.  329 

ground,  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  creature  fre- 
quently passed  that  way,  and  that  he  had  little  doubt 
we  should  be  able  to  catch  it. 

On  returning  to  the  settlement  he  invited  Tim  and 
Sambo  to  accompany  him,  and  to  dig  a  pit  in  which  to 
catch  the  animaJ.  We  had  a  short  time  before  manu- 
factured some  wooden  spades,  which  served  very  well 
for  digging  in  soft  ground  :  we  each  took  one,  and 
Kallolo  having  fixed  on  a  spot  over  which  he  con- 
sidered the  tapir  was  accustomed  to  pass,  we  set  to 
work  to  dig  the  pit.  The  tapir  being  unable  to  climb, 
we  made  our  pit  only  about  four  feet  deep,  seven  long, 
and  four  wide.  Having  shovelled  away  the  earth  as 
far  as  we  could  throw  it,  we  covered  the  pit  over 
with  thin  branches  and  light  twigs,  which  would  at 
once  give  way  under  the  animal's  weight. 

Next  morning,  as  the  rest  of  the  party  were  busily 
employed,  I  alone  accompanied  Kallolo.  We  each 
carried  a  spade,  with  some  rope  and  pieces  of  matting. 
We  first  visited  the  tree  on  which  he  had  set  the  snare 
for  the  curassow.  As  we  approached  we  observed  a 
fluttering  on  the  top  of  it,  and  there,  sure  enough,  was 
the  bird  caught  by  the  legs.  Kallolo  climbed  up,  and 
detachinof  the  snare  from  the  tree  brous^ht  the 
bird  safely  to  the  ground.  It  was  too  much  frightened 
to  attempt  resistance,  and  before  it  recovered,  the  Indian 
had  covered  its  head  up  with  a  piece  of  matting,  so 
that  it  could  not  see  ;   and  then  taking  it  under  his 


380  A  TAPIR  CAUGHT. 

arm,  we  set  off  to  examine  our  pit.  Even  before  we 
got  up  to  it,  we  saw  that  the  covering  had  given  way; 
and  sure  enough,  there  was  the  tapir  safe  within. 
The  creature  could  not  turn  round,  and  was  standing 
perfectly  still,  utterly  unable  to  help  itself  Kallolo  had 
brought  a  bag,  the  mouth  secured  by  a  string;  this  he 
managed  to  slip  over  its  head,  so  that  it,  like  the  cur- 
assow,  was  completely  blindfolded.  He  then  passed  an- 
other rope  round  its  fore-legs,  and  passing  the  end  round 
the  trunk  of  a  tree,  hauled  it  tight.  Putting  the  curas- 
sow  on  the  ground,  with  its  legs  tied,  Kallolo  begged 
me  to  assist  him  in  throwing  a  quantity  of  earth  over 
the  front  of  the  pit.  In  a  short  time  we  had  made  an 
incline,  up  which  tlie  tapir  of  its  own  accord  climbed  ; 
expecting,  probably,  when  at  the  top  to  find  itself  free. 
In  this  it  was  disappointed  ;  but  its  strength  being  con- 
siderable, it  would  speedily  have  broken  loose  had  not 
its  eyes  been  blindfolded.  Kallolo  now  approaching, 
spoke  to  it  in  soothing  terms,  patted  it  on  the  back, 
and  at  length  it  stood  perfectly  still,  its  alarm  having 
apparently  been  completely  calmed. 

"  We  will  now  return  home  with  our  prizes,  and  I 
liope  that  in  a  short  time  they  will  become  tame,"  he 
observed  ;  and  having  transferred  the  rope  from  its 
legs  to  its  neck,  he  led  it  along,  while  I  followed  with 
the  curassow.  On  our  arrival  with  our  two  prizes  we 
were  warmly  greeted  by  all  hands,  and  Marian  begged 
that  she  micdit  be  allowed  to  tame  the  bird. 


THE  CUKASSOW  TAMED.  331 

"  I  should  like  to  make  friends  with  the  tapir,"  she 
added  ;  "  but  I  am  afraid  that  it  would  prove  an  unruly 
pupil." 

''  You  need  not  be  afraid  of  that,"  said  Kallolo. 
''  In  a  short  time  the  tapir  will  become  as  tame  as  a 
dog,  and  will  follow  you  about  wherever  you  go." 

Kallolo  certainly  exhibited  a  wonderful  skill  in 
taming  animals.  He  managed  to  do  so  entirely  by 
kindness,  though  in  the  first  instance  he  starved  them 
to  make  them  ready  to  receive  food  from  his  hands. 
He  did  not,  however,  allow  the  tapir  to  go  loose  for 
some  days,  but  regularly  brought  it  the  food  he  knew 
it  liked  best.  He  then  took  it  down  to  the  water  to 
bathe,  keeping  the  rope  tight  that  it  might  not  swim 
off 

Marian  imitated  his  example  with  regard  to  her 
curassow;  and  the  bird  soon  knew  her,  and  showed  its 
pleasure  Avhen  she  approached  with  its  favourite  fruit. 
At  length,  feeling  pretty  sure  that  it  would  not  fly 
away,  she  let  it  loose  just  before  its  usual  feeding 
time,  and  then  held  out  some  fruit  which  she  had  got 
in  readiness.  The  bird  flew  towards  her ;  and  from 
that  day  followed  her  about  wherever  she  went. 
"  Crass  "  (the  name  we  gave  to  the  curassow)  soon  be- 
came a  great  favourite,  and  made  Quacko  and  Ara 
very  jealous.  The  monkey  would,  now  and  then, 
steal  down  and  slyly  try  to  pluck  the  feathers 
out  of  Crass,  which  would  immediately  run  for  pro- 


332  THE  TAPIR  DOMESTICATED. 

tection  to  Marian;  while  Ara  would  fly  down  and 
perch  on  its  head,  and  peck  at  its  crest. 

AVe  had  now  a  little  menagerie.  Three  parrots,  of 
different  species,  and  another  monkey,  had  been  added 
to  our  collection.  The  tapir  became  perfectly  do- 
mesticated, and  could  be  trusted  to  go  out  and  have 
a  bathe  by  itself,  w^hen  it  would  invariably  come  back 
and  lie  down  in  front  of  our  hut,  knowing  that  it 
was  there  safe  from  its  arch  enemy  the  jaguar.  We, 
however,  could  not  bestow  much  time  on  our  animals, 
as  we  were  employed  in  the  more  important  business 
of  building  our  vessel  and  supplying  our  larder.  We 
were  never,  indeed,  in  want  of  food,  but  we  had  to 
consider  the  means  of  preserving  a  supply  for  our 
voyage.  The  days  passed  quickly  by  ;  and  though 
the  carpenters  appeared  to  work  very  slowly,  each 
day  saw  the  vessel  further  advanced,  and  it  was  a 
satisfaction  to  count  the  numerous  ribs  which  now 
rose  from  the  keel  of  our  vessel. 

We  were  all  at  work  one  day  on  the  vessel,  with 
the  exception  of  Tim  and  Sambo,  who  had  gone  out 
to  fish  on  the  lake  at  a  short  distance  from  the  shore, 
when  cunning  Master  Quacko,  observing  us  engaged, 
and  catching  sight  of  Crass  feeding  at  a  little  distance 
from  the  huts,  slyly  stole  towards  her.  Crass  turned 
her  head  just  in  time  to  see  him  coming,  and  recollect- 
inor  that  she  had  wino^s  as  well  as  legs,  rose  in  the 
air  and  flew  towards  a  neighbouring  tree.      Quacko, 


CRASS  PUKSUED  BY  QUACKO.  333 

who  had  not  forgotten  the  art  of  climbing,  made 
chase,  and  soon  got  up  to  the  bough  on  which  Crass 
was  perched.  Crass,  who  had  been  watching  him, 
flew  off  to  another  tree  close  to  the  shore  of  the  lake. 
Quacko,  however,  liking  the  fun,  threw  himself  from 
bouofh  to  bough  and  drove  Crass  further  and  further 
off.  Marian,  who  had  been  busy  at  her  loom,  looking 
up  caught  sight  of  Quacko  and  Crass  flying  away  in 
the  far  distance.  Guessing  the  cause  of  her  favourite's 
flight,  she  ran  to  call  Quacko  back,  and  to  try  to 
recover  her  bird.  As  she  was  making  her  way 
through  the  thick  underwood,  I  fortunately  happened 
to  see  her,  and  calling  to  Arthur,  we  both  ran  to  her 
assistance.  So  thick  was  the  forest,  however,  at  this 
spot,  that  we  soon  lost  sight  of  her ;  and  though  we 
shouted  to  her  to  return,  she  made  no  reply.  Re- 
coUectino;  the  fearful  danojer  to  which  she  had  before 
been  exposed  on  the  bank  of  the  stream,  I  could  not 
help  fearing  that  some  accident  had  happened  to  her. 

We  went  on  till  we  saw  Crass  on  the  bough  of  a 
tree  just  ahead  of  us,  and  I  was  sure  that  Marian 
could  not  be  far  off.  Just  then  it  occurred  to  me 
that  she  was  perhaps  only  trying  to  frighten  us ;  so, 
instead  of  following  her  further,  I  resolved  to  climb  the 
tree  and  secure  the  bird.  Calling  to  Arthur,  we  both 
easily  mounted  by  means  of  several  sepos  which  hung 
down  from  it,  and  of  three  or  four  boughs  which  pro- 
jected from  the  lower  part  of  the  trunk.     No  sooner  had 


334 


MARIAN  IX  DANGER  FROM  A  SNAKE. 


Arthur  and  I  got  up  than  we  caught  sight  of  Marian 
clinging  to  a  palm-tree,  horror  depicted  in  her  counte- 
nance as  she  gazed  at  something  on  the  ground.  At 
the  same  moment  Crass  flew  off"  towards  her  ;  while 
Arthur,  exclaiming,  "  A  snake  !  a  snake  !  it  is  about 
to  attack  her,"  leaped  down  to  her  assistance.  It  was 
a  moment  of  fearful  suspense.  I  expected  to  see  the 
horrible  reptile  spring  at  my  sister.  It  appeared  to 
me,  as  I  caught  sight  of  its  head,  to  be  one  of  the 
most  venomous  species — the  labarri. 

Just  then  I  heard  a  voice  shout  out,  ''  Stay 
quiet,  Miss  Marian,  and  keep  your  eye  fixed  on  the 
creature." 

I  did  not  till  then  observe  that  the  raft  had  come 
close  in,  and  I  now  saw  Sambo,  who  had  leaped  from 
it,  making  rapidly  towards  the  shore  with  a  long  stick 
in  his  hand.  The  snake,  whose  tail  had  been  coiled 
round  the  root  of  a  tree,  had  all  the  time  remained 
perfectly  still,  though  uttering  ominous  hisses.  In 
another  instant  the  reptile  would  have  made  its  fatal 
spring ;  but  Sambo,  climbing  up  the  bank,  dealt  it 
a  furious  blow  on  the  head.  This  made  it  uncoil  its 
tail  ;  then  he  followed  up  the  attack  by  a  second 
blow.      The  snake  dropped  its  head. 

Marian,  relieved  of  her  terror,  fell  fainting  to  the 
ground  just  as  Arthur  and  I  reached  her,  while  Crass 
immediately  came  flying  down  to  her  feet.  Having 
satisfied  ourselves  that  the   snake  was  really  killed. 


MARIAN      ENCOUNTERS      A      SERPENT. 


MARIAN  CAtTTIONED.  337 

we  hastened  back  with  Marian  to  the  settlement, 
followed  by  Crass,  which  came  willingly  after  its 
mistress.  She  was  so  nervous,  however,  that  she 
could  with  difficulty  walk.  At  every  instant  she 
started,  as  if  expecting  to  see  another  snake  appear 
before  her  to  dispute  her  passage.  Quacko,  who 
knew  very  well  that  he  had  been  misbehaving,  made 
his  way  back  before  us  ;  and  when  we  arrived  we 
found  him  seated  in  front  of  the  hut,  looking  as  sedate 
as  a  judge,  evidently  fancying  that  his  conduct  had 
been  unobserved. 

We  again  charged  Marian  not  to  leave  the  camp  by 
herself,  warning  her  that  she  might  not  only  meet 
with  another  snake,  but  might  fall  in,  perhaps,  with 
a  prowling  jaguar  or  puma,  or  an  anaconda,  such  as 
had  attacked  us  on  the  lake. 

''  But  I  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  losing  my 
dear  Crass  ;  and  I  had  no  idea  that  I  should  have 
been  led  so  far  away,"  she  answered,  almost  crying,  as 
if  she  had  done  something  wrong. 

"  We  are  not  blaming  you,  my  dear  Marian,"  said 
Uncle  Paul,  ''  but  cautioning  you  for  your  own  bene- 
fit,— and  ours,  too,  for  we  should  be  miserable  should 
any  harm  happen  to  you.  People,  when  they  begin 
to  act  imprudently,  never  can  tell  where  they  may 
stop  ;  and  a  very  good  lesson  may  be  imparted  to 
others  from  your  adventure  and  the  fearful  danger  to 
which  you  have  been  exposed.      But  do  not  suppose, 

(510)  22 


338  ARA  FLIES  OFF. 

my  dear,  that  we  blame  you,  though  you  did  give  us 
all  a  great  fright.  We  must  appoint  a  guard,  not  to 
watch  you,  but  to  protect  you  from  danger." 

''  Oh,  do  not  draw  any  one  off  from  the  important 
work  in  which  you  are  all  engaged,  for  my  sake," 
exclaimed  Marian.  "  I  will  be  very  prudent  in  future, 
indeed,  I  will ;  and  if  any  of  my  favourites  run  away, 
I  will  immediately  come  to  you,  that,  if  you  think 
lit,  somebody  may  be  sent  to  bring  them  back." 

Marian's  resolution  was  sorely  tried  a  few  days 
afterwards.  The  Ara  parrot,  the  companion  of  our 
troubles,  which  had  learned  to  speak,  as  Tim  averred, 
as  well  as  a  real  Christian,  and  was  so  very  affection- 
ate and  domesticated,  took  it  into  its  head,  from  some 
unknown  cause,  to  fly  off  before  Marian's  eyes.  Ac- 
cording to  her  promise,  she  did  not  follow  it,  though 
she  believed  that  it  had  perched  on  a  tree  not  far  off, 
but  hurried  to  where  we  were  at  work.  When,  how- 
ever, Maco  went  to  look  for  it,  the  bird  was  nowhere 
to  be  seen.  The  whole  day  passed  by,  and  Marian 
began  to  give  up  all  hopes  of  ever  recovering  her  pet. 
The  next  morning  our  attention  was  attracted  by  the 
most  extraordinary  noises,  arising  from  a  flock  of 
paiTots  at  a  little  distance.  Now  all  was  hushed; 
then  again  there  broke  forth  a  torrent  of  screams, 
which  reminded  us  of  the  noise  made  by  a  flock  of 
crows  gathered  around  a  solitary  owl  found  out  of  its 
ivy-mantled  tower  after  sunrise.      What  was  the  cause 


ARA  ADDRESSES  HIS  PEERS.  339 

of  the  noise  ?  No  one  could  decide.  Arthur  suggested 
that  the  tree-tops  thereabout  might  form  a  parhament- 
house  to  the  surrounding  nation  of  parrots,  and  that, 
their  session  having  commenced,  they  had  met  to 
discuss  some  new  legislative  act  for  the  good  of  the 
community,  or,  perhaps,  some  point  calculated  to  lead 
to  a  general  war, — the  overbearing  conduct  of  the 
macaws,  or  the  increasing  ins  alts  of  the  parrakeets. 

With  bows  and  blow-pipes  in  hand,  Arthur,  Tim, 
and  I,  and  the  three  Indians,  crept  silently  towards 
them,  when,  to  our  great  astonishment,  we  discovered 
the  cause  of  the  hubbub.  Mounted  full  in  view  on 
a  tree-top  stood  Master  Ara;  while  around  him,  upon 
adjacent  branches,  were  collected  a  host  of  his  peers ! 
There  was  a  pause. 

"Haul  away!  ye  ho,  boys!"  came  down  from  the 
top  of  the  tree,  followed  by  bursts  of  imitative  shrieks 
and  vociferous  applause.  ''Ha!  ha!  ha!"  shouted 
Master  Ara,  as  he  rolled  his  head  and  doubled  up  his 
body  quite  beside  himself  with  laughter.  Then  came 
tumultuous  applause  and  encores,  and  further  shouts 
of  "  Ha  !  ha  !  ha!  Haul  away  !  ye  ho,  boys  !"  Then 
Ara  spread  his  wings,  and  began  with  evident  delight 
to  bow  and  dance,  and  to  turn  round  and  round  on  the 
bouo'h  he  had  chosen  for  his  rostrum.  The  effect  upon 
his  auditory  was  remarkable.  Every  parrot  began 
to  twist  and  to  turn  about  in  the  same  fashion,  en- 
deavouring  with   very   considerable   success   to   utter 


340  THE  ASSEMBLY  PUT  TO  FLIGHT. 

the  same  sounds,  till  we  might  have  supposed  that 
the  crew  of  a  merchant  ship  were  shouting  together, 
and  engaged  in  weighing  anchor  to  put  to  sea.  Pres- 
ently one  of  the  assembly  caught  sight  of  us,  and 
giving  the  alarm  to  the  others,  they  suddenly  changed 
their  hilarious  notes  to  cries  of  alarm,  when  off  they 
flew,  leaving  Ara  to  harangue  to  empty  benches,  or 
rather  to  vacant  boughs  ;  for  he,  not  holding  us  in 
dread,  did  not  deem  it  necessary  to  decamp. 

The  question  now  was  how  to  catch  him.  Kallolo's 
blow-pipe  could  have  brought  him  down  from  his  lofty 
perch  ;  but  it  would  have  been  at  the  risk  of  preparing 
him  for  parrot-pie,  and  our  object  was  to  take  him 
alive.  Had  we  possessed  any  salt,  Kallolo  said  that 
there  would  have  been  no  danger,  as  a  few  grains  would 
have  effectually  neutralized  the  effects  of  the  poison. 

"  Sure  he  would  come  if  the  mistress  were  to  call 
him,"  observed  Tim. 

Arthur,  thinking  so  too,  ran  back  and  brought 
Marian  ;  who,  indeed,  was  very  willing  to  come.  On 
our  retiring  out  of  sight,  she  began  to  call  to  Ara,  using 
the  endearing  expressions  she  had  been  accustomed 
to  apply  to  him.  He  looked  down  and  nodded, 
and  then  flew  to  a  lower  bough.  She  went  on,  and 
held  out  her  hand  with  some  palm-fruit,  of  which 
he  was  especially  fond.  Again  he  descended  ;  and  at 
length,  attracted  partly  by  her  sweet  voice,  and 
partly,  it  may  be  suspected,  by  the  sweet  fruit,  came 


MARIAN  LECTURES  ARA.  341 

and  perched  on  her  hand.  Then  she  took  him  back 
in  triumph  to  the  settlement,  telling  him,  as  she  did 
so,  how  imprudent  he  had  been  to  run  away  so  far. 

"  Remember,  Ara,"  I  heard  her  say,  with  all  the 
gravity  possible,  "  people,  when  they  begin  to  act 
imprudently,  never  can  tell  where  they  may  stop. 
You  might  have  been  caught  by  a  tree-snake,  or  by 
some  savage  vulture,  and  we  should  never  have  seen 
you  more.  Promise  me  never  to  go  wandering  again 
without  a  proper  escort ; — you  will,  won't  you?" 

"  Haul  away  !  ye  ho,  boys  !"  answered  Ara.  ''  Ha  ! 
ha!  ha!" 

This  was  the  only  reply  she  could  obtain.  She, 
however,  as  the  bird  nestled  affectionately  in  her 
arms,  seemed  perfectly  satisfied  that  he  would  not 
again  go  gadding. 


CHAPTER  XY. 

NAMING    OUR    VESSEL— SAMBO'S    SUGAR    MANUFACTORY THE    WONDERFUL    COW- 
TREE TIM'S  "beautiful    PIG  " — TREED  BY  PECCARIES— A  JAGUAR  RENDERS 

US   A    VALUABLE   SERVICE PEACH-PALMS — KALLOLO  CAPTURES  THE  CURIOUS 

JACANA—  A  LUCKY  FIND — IN  SEARCH   OF   TURTLES GOOD  LUCK LAUNCH  OF 

THE    "good   HOPE"  — "fly!    FLY  !    THE  SAVAGES  ARE  COMING  !  " A  NARROW 

ESCAPE — «.  UR  VILLAGE  SET  ON  FIRE. 

'E  had  a  grand  discussion    one    evening    as 
^   to  the  name  to  be  bestowed  on  our  new 
vessel.        Various    appellations    were    sug- 
gested.     Arthur  proposed  that  she  should 
be  called  the   ''  Marian  ;  "  Tim,  who  had  a 
voice  in  the  matter,  suggested  the  ''  Erin." 

''  The  '  Fair  Maiden '  would  be  a  fitting  name,"  said 
the  mate  Peter,  bowing  with  the  gallantry  of  a  sailor 
to  my  young  sister. 

"  Oh  no  !  pray  don't  name  the  vessel  after  me," 
exclaimed  Marian  ;  "  for  thouo^h  I  am  obliged  to 
Mr.  Peter,  yet  I  am  sure  I  am  no  longer  a  'fair 
maiden.'  " 

It  had  never  occurred  to  me  to  think  about  the 
matter  ;  but  now,  as  I  looked  at  her  sweet  countenance, 
I  saw  that  it  was  tanned  almost  to  a  nut-brown  hue. 


THE  ''  GOOD  HOPE.  343 

and  covered  over  with  still  darker  freckles — the  result 
of  constant  exposure  to  the  air  and  hot  sun. 

"  Now,  with  all  due  respect  for  Miss  Marian,  I  con- 
sider that  we  may  find  a  better  name  than  any 
hitherto  suggested,"  observed  the  skipper.  ''  I  propose 
that  our  vessel  be  cahed  the  Good  Hope.  Although 
not  yet  finished,  we  have  '  good  hope '  that  she  will 
be ;  and  we  have  also  '  good  hope '  that,  escaping 
the  Spanish  cruisers,  and  storms  and  rocks  and  shoals, 
she  will  carry  us  safely  to  Stabroek.  What  say  you, 
Mr.  Paul  ?  " 

''The  Good  Hope — the  Good  Hope,''  said  Uncle 
Paul,  repeating  the  name  several  times.  "I  like  it. 
Yes,  yes  ;  it  is  a  fitting  name — a  good  name.  Our 
craft  has  been  the  result  of  faith  in  One  who  watches 
over  us — of  skill  and  energy  and  perseverance  ;  and 
such  must  always  aftbrd  '  good  hope  '  of  success.  What 
do  you  say,  brother  Dennis  ?  " 

"  I  have  felt  too  often  that  I  have  bidden  farewell 
to  '  hope '  in  any  form  to  venture  on  selecting  such  a 
name ;  and  yet,  if  you  are  pleased  so  to  call  our  craft, 
I  should  be  content  to  embark  on  board  the  Good 
Hope;  and  should  she  carry  us  to  civilized  lands  in 
safety,  I  might  believe  once  more  that  there  is  hope 
for  me,  even  in  this  world,"  answered  my  father. 

I  had  been  inclined  to  agree  with  Arthur  ;  but  as 
the  elders  of  the  party  seemed  to  consider  that  the 
name   of  Good  Hope  was  the   proper  one,  I  voted  for 


344  PROVISIONS  PREPARED. 

it,  and  Marian  did  likewise.  Thus  it  was  settled  that 
our  vessel  was  to  be  called  the  Good  Hope ;  and  so  we 
ever  afterwards  designated  her. 

As  she  approached  completion,  the  hunters  were 
urged  to  be  diligent  in  endeavouring  to  procure  the 
means  of  provisioning  her  for  the  voyage.  We  at 
once  built  two  kilns  for  drying  fish  and  flesh,  to  assist 
the  preserving  powers  of  the  hot  sun.  Several  large 
periecus  were  caught,  cut  up,  and  dried  in  the  sun,  and 
then  smoked  ;  but  though  wholesome  and  nutritious, 
they  were  not  considered  very  palatable.  As  fruits 
and  nuts  became  ripe  they  were  gathered  in  large 
quantities,  and  Marian  exerted  her  skill  in  drying  the 
former. 

"  If  I  had  some  sugar,  I  would  make  a  supply  of 
preserves,"  she  observed,  as  she  examined  a  basket 
of  palm  fruit,  and  several  varieties  of  plums,  which 
we  had  brought  in.  *'  I  often  assisted  at  home,  and 
know  perfectly  well  how  to  manage." 

I  remembered  one  day  having  seen  some  long  canes, 
which  I  took  for  ordinary  reeds,  growing  among  the 
abundant  vegetation.  I  now  tried  to  recollect  where- 
abouts they  were. 

"  I  know,"  exclaimed  Sambo.  ''  They  be  wild 
sugar-cane." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Because  I  suck  'em,  and  dey  berry  sweet,"  he 
answered,  grinning  as  only  a  well-satisfied  negro  can 


SUGAR-CANES  FOUND.  345 

grin,  having,  of  all  the  human  race,  a  mouth  specially 
adapted  for  the  purpose. 

"  Then  do  you  think  j^ou  could  find  them  again, 
Sambo  ?  "  I  asked. 

*'  Oh  yes,  massa !  I  will  bring  home  enough  to 
make  sugar  for  all  the  preserves  Miss  Marian  can 
make." 

"  But  when  we  have  cut  the  canes,  how  is  the 
sugar  to  be  manufactured  ?  "  I  inquired. 

"  I  do  dat,"  he  answered.  "  I  long  on  sugar  plan- 
tation in  Jamaica,  and  know  how  to  make  sugar  as 
well  as  any  nigger  slave." 

Sambo  at  once  set  out,  and  soon  brought  back  a 
load  of  sugar-canes — a  convincing  proof  that  they  grew 
in  the  neighbourhood.  We  all  tried  them  ;  and  for 
several  days  each  member  of  our  community  Avas  to 
be  seen  walking  about  with  a  piece  of  sugar-cane  in 
his  mouth.  Sambo  was  an  ingenious  mechanic,  and 
forthwith  set  to  work  to  construct  a  sugar  manu- 
factory. It  was  very  simple,  consisting  of  a  number 
of  our  largest  clay  pots  for  boiling  the  juice,  and  a 
lonsf  trouo-h  with  sides,  and  a  board  at  each  end, 
slightly  inclining  towards  the  pans.  Into  the  trough 
fitted  a  huge  stone, — a  large  round  boulder,  to  which 
ropes  were  attached,  for  hauling  it  backwards  and 
forwards.  The  canes  being  placed  in  the  trough,  the 
heavy  weight  passing  over  them  pressed  out  the  juice, 
which   ran  through  holes  in  the  lower  end  into  the 


346  OUR  SUGAR  MANUFACTORY. 

bowls.  The  fuel  which  had  previously  been  placed 
under  the  bowls  was  then  lighted.  As  soon  as  the 
juice  became  hot,  the  impure  portions  rose  in  the  form 
of  scum,  which  was  skimmed  off.  Sambo  had  found 
some  lime,  with  which  he  formed  lime-water  to 
temper  the  liquor.  The  boiling  process  over,  the 
fires  were  allowed  to  go  out,  and  the  liquor  was  then 
poured  out  into  fresh  pans,  in  which  it  was  again 
gently  boiled.  It  was  afterwards  transferred  to  a 
number  of  open  wooden  boxes,  where  it  was  allowed 
to  cool,  while  the  molasses  ran  off  into  pans  placed 
beneath  them,  the  part  remaining  in  the  boxes  being  in 
the  form  of  crystals.  Another  draining  process  was 
then  gone  through,  when  really  very  respectable- 
looking  sugar  was  produced. 

''  It  would  not  fetch  anything  of  a  price  in  the 
market,"  observed  my  father  ;  "  but  I  have  no  doubt 
that  Marian  will  find  it  good  enough  to  preserve  her 
fruit." 

Marian  was  delighted,  and  assured  Sambo  that  his 
sugar  would  answer  very  well  indeed.  ''  If  we  could 
find  some  tea-plants,  we  might  have  a  pleasanter 
beverage  for  breakfast  than  either  cold  water  or  palm 
wine,"  observed  Marian;  ''though,  to  be  sure,  we 
should  have  no  milk  to  mix  with  it." 

"  I  don't  despair  of  finding  that,"  said  Uncle  Paul ; 
**  indeed,  I  can  promise  to  bring  you  some  fresh  milk 
directly   you   can    produce    the   tea.       I  only  yester- 


MILK  FROM  THE  COW-TREE.  347 

day  caught  sight  of  the  massaranduba,  or  cow-tree  ; 
and  as  it  is  not  far  off,  I  will  this  evening  bring  you 
a  bowlful  of  the  juice,  which,  when  fresh,  you  will 
be  unable  to  distinguish  from  the  finest  milk." 

Marian  was  of  course  very  eager  to  see  this  wonder- 
ful vegetable  milk  ;  and  in  the  evening  Uncle  Paul 
set  out  with  a  large  bowl.  Sambo  and  I  accompanied 
him.  Sambo  carrying  an  axe.  On  going  some  distance 
through  the  forest,  we  saw  a  tree  with  deeply-scored 
reddish  and  rugged  bark. 

''  Surely  nothing  like  white  juice  can  come  out  of 
so  rou£ch  a  skin,"  I  observed  to  Uncle  Paul. 

"  Wait  till  Sambo  has  put  his  axe  through  it. — Cut 
hereabouts,  Sambo,"  he  said,  pointing  to  a  part  of  the 
trunk  under  which  he  could  hold  the  bowl. 

The  black  did  as  directed,  and  made  a  deep  incision, 
following  it  up  by  other  cuts. 

''  That's  enough,"  exclaimed  Uncle  Paul ;  and  hav- 
ing, as  he  spoke,  placed  the  bowl  beneath  the  cut,  there 
literally  gushed  forth  a  stream  of  the  purest  white 
milk,  so  rapidly  that  the  bowl  was  quickly  filled.  I 
smelt  it  and  tasted  it ;  and  though  it  might  have  been 
said  to  be  a  little  coarse,  I  certainly  should  have  sup- 
posed it  to  be  pure  milk.  Uncle  Paul  cautioned  us 
not  to  drink  much,  as,  swallowed  in  any  considerable 
quantity,  it  is  looked  upon  as  unwholesome. 

We  returned  with  the  bowl  full.  Sambo  having 
carried   it   on   his   head.      Marian  was  of  course  de- 


Sd8  WILD  COFFEE  BERRIES. 

lighted  with  it,  though  she  could  not  give  us  tea. 
Kallolo  had  brought  her  a  berry,  however,  which  he 
assured  her  was  perfectly  wholesome,  and  which,  when 
pounded  and  boiled,  afforded  a  fair  substitute  for  coffee. 
I  suspect,  indeed,  that  it  was  wild  coffee,  and  that  the 
original  seed  had  been  brought  to  the  spot  by  some 
bird. 

We  had  thus  secured  a  very  palatable  beverage,  and 
had  obtained  milk  and  sugar  to  mix  with  it ;  but  my 
father  still  had  a  fancy  for  procuring  tea,  or  at  all 
events  a  substitute  for  it. 

"If  we  find  any,  it  will  be  a  satisfaction  when  we 
drink  it  to  remember  that  it  is  not  taxed,"  he  ob- 
served, "  and  that  the  revenue  derived  from  it  will  not 
be  spent  in  a  way  over  which  we  have  no  control." 

My  poor  father  was  alluding  at  the  time  to  one 
of  the  grievances  which  the  American  colonies  had 
already  begun  to  feel  very  severely.  We  hunted 
in  vain,  however,  for  any  shrub  whose  leaves  were  at 
all  to  be  compared  wdth  those  of  the  tea-tree  of  China, 
though  we  made  several  decoctions  which  afforded  us 
refreshing:  beverao-es. 

On  the  borders  of  the  small  lake  Kallolo  had  dis- 
covered a  large  quantity  of  wild  rice,  on  which  num- 
berless water-fowd  fed.  We  collected  an  ample  supply 
of  the  seed,  and  found  it  very  useful  in  lieu  of  other 
farinaceous  food.  After  it  had  been  well  stewed, 
it  assisted  to  fricassee  macaws,  parrots,  and  monkeys, 


NOTHING  LIKE  PORK.  349 


which  formed  our  staple  diet.  We  had  long  got  over 
anything  like  squeamishness  as  to  what  we  ate  ;  and 
it  was  evident  that  our  food  agreed  with  us,  for  we 
were  all  as  fat  and  strong  as  we  could  desire — indeed, 
accustomed  as  we  had  become  to  the  life  we  were 
leading,  no  one  complained  of  hardships  or  scanty  fare. 
We  certainly  had  to  work  for  our  subsistence,  and  the 
food  did  not  exactly  drop  into  our  mouths  ;  but  we 
were  sure  to  get  it  by  exerting  ourselves. 

We  caught  two  more  tapirs  in  our  pitfall ;  but  being 
older  than  the  first,  they  showed  no  inclination  to 
become  domesticated,  so  we  were  compelled  to  kill 
them,  and  to  cut  up  and  dry  their  flesh — which,  though 
rather  tough,  was  not  otherwise  unpalatable.  Not- 
withstanding the  quantity  around  him,  Tim  often 
sighed  for  a  good  fat  pig. 

''  Sure,  there's  nothing  like  pork  after  all ;  and  I 
wish  we  could  have  two  or  three  fat  grunters  to  keep 
happy  and  contented  in  the  corner  of  our  hut,  just  as 
they  may  be  seen  in  many  cabins  in  the  'oukl 
country,'  "  he  exclaimed  one  day.  "  They  would  re- 
mind us  of  home  more  than  anything  else." 

I  recollected  Tim's  remark  when,  shortly  after- 
wards, he  came  rushing  in  from  the  direction  of  our 
pitfall,  exclaiming  as  he  approached, — "  Hurrah ! 
hurrah  ! — a  real  '  beautiful  pig '  has  been  caught ;  but 
the  baste  looked  as  if  his  mind  was  so  ill  at  ease,  that 
I  thought  it  prudent  not  to  slip  down  and  help  him 


350  A  STRANGE  PIG. 

out ;  SO,  if  any  one  will  come  and  assist  me,  sure 
we'll  soon  make  the  beginning  of  a  piggery." 

Uncle  Paul,  Sambo,  and  I,  carrying  some  rope 
between  us,  hastened  off  to  get  out  the  pig.  On 
reaching  the  pitfall.  Uncle  Paul,  looking  down,  ex- 
claimed,— "  It  was  well,  Tim,  that  you  did  not  jump 
in  to  help  out  your  friend.  Just  see  his  mouth  ! " 
And  poking  the  end  of  his  stick  in  front  of  the  crea- 
ture's nose,  it  exhibited  a  pair  of  tusks  sharp  as 
lancets.  '*  It  is  a  pig,  certainly,  but  very  unlike  the 
pig  of  northern  lands,"  he  observed.  ''  This  creature 
is  a  peccary ;  and  though  it  is  of  no  great  size,  it  is 
one  of  the  most  savage  little  animals  in  existence.  A 
herd  of  them  will  run  down  a  jaguar ;  and  though  he 
may  slay  a  few  with  his  paws,  they  will  soon  worry 
him  to  death  with  their  sharp  tusks,  having  nothing 
like  fear  in  their  composition.  We  will  take  the  pre- 
caution of  securing  it  before  we  haul  it  out,  or  it  will 
be  sure  to  do  some  of  us  an  injur3^" 

A  noose  having  been  formed,  it  was  slipped  over 
the  peccary's  head,  and  the  animal  was  hauled  out 
and  quickly  despatched.  Uncle  Paul  then  showed 
us  a  gland  on  the  hinder  part  of  the  back,  which 
he  carefully  cut  out,  remarking  that  unless  this  was 
done  it  would  impart  a  disagreeable  flavour  to  the  rest 
of  the  meat.  Tim  and  Sambo,  after  having  secured 
it  to  the  end  of  a  long  stick,  carried  it  in  triumph 
to  the  settlement.      We  found  the  meat  excellent ;  and 


WHERE  IS  TIM  ?  351 

what  we  could  not  eat  was  smoked  and  laid  by  for 
the  voyage. 

Tim  was  still  dissatisfied  at  not  being  able  to  tame 
a  few  peccaries  to  keep  in  his  hut.  He  had  sallied 
forth  at  daybreak  one  morning,  bow  in  hand,  in  search 
of  game,  promising  to  be  back  at  breakfast.  When 
breakfast-time  came,  however,  Tim  did  not  appear. 
Arthur  and  I  waited  for  an  hour  or  more,  tiU  we  be- 
came somewhat  anxious  about  our  faithful  follower, 
and  at  last  determined  to  go  in  search  of  him.  We 
had  noted  the  direction  he  had  taken,  and  hoped,  there- 
fore, to  get  upon  his  track.  We  first  visited  the  pit- 
fall. It  was  empty ;  but  we  caught  sight  of  some 
recently  broken  twigs  some  way  beyond,  which  showed 
that  he  had  gone  further.  On  we  went,  therefore, 
shooting  several  birds  which  came  in  our  way. 

We  were  pushing  on,  when  we  heard  a  voice  which 
we  knew  to  be  Tim's  shouting  out,  ''  Up  a  tree  !  up  a 
tree,  gentlemen — for  your  lives  !  "  We  looked  round. 
Fortunately  one  was  near,  the  branches  of  which  en- 
abled us,  without  difiiculty,  to  climb  up  it.  At  that 
instant  we  caught  sight  of  several  dozen  black-skinned 
creatures  rushing  towards  us.  Up  the  tree  we  sprang  ; 
and  scarcely  had  we  got  a  few  feet  from  the  ground 
when  a  whole  herd  of  peccaries  came  rushing  towards 
us,  ploughing  up  the  ground  with  their  tusks,  and  ex- 
hibiting other  signs  of  rage. 

No  sooner  had  we  seated  ourselves  on  a  bou^^h  than 


352 

we  made  out  Tim  a  little  way  off,  perched  in  the  same 
manner  upon  another  tree.  It  was  pretty  clear  that 
he  had  been  besieged  by  the  herd,  as  we  now  were. 

We  shouted  to  him,  inquiring  how  long  he  had  been 
there. 

''  For  the  last  two  hours  or  more,"  was  his  answer. 
"  I  was  just  walking  through  the  forest  on  my  way  home 
when  these  terrible  little  bastes  caught  sight  of  me ;  and 
if  I  had  not  sprung  up  this  tree  like  lightning,  they 
would  have  dug  their  sharp  tusks  into  my  legs. 
Though  I  have  shot  every  arrow  I  had  at  my  back, 
and  have  killed  half  a  score  of  them,  nothing  I  could 
do  would  make  them  go  away  ;  and  by  my  faith,  too, 
the  brutes  seem  determined  to  starve  us  out." 

This  was  not  pleasant,  as  we  might  expect  to  be 
treed  in  the  same  manner.  We  determined,  however, 
to  do  what  we  could  to  put  the  peccaries  to  flight,  and 
began  shooting  away  ;  taking  good  aim,  that  we  might 
not  uselessly  expend  our  arrows.  The  little  brutes 
kept  rushing  about  below  us,  now  and  then  charging 
against  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  and  then  looking  up  at  us 
with  their  wicked  eyes,  evidently  wishing  that  we 
might  slip  and  tumble  down  among  them. 

''  A  pretty  condition  we  should  be  in  if  we  did  so," 
I  remarked  to  Arthur. 

''  Take  care  what  you  are  about,  then,"  he  answered. 
"  Keep  your  feet  firmly  fixed  on  the  branch  below  you 
before  you  shoot." 


RAISING  THE  SIEGE.  353 

We  were  standing  up  on  one  branch,  leaning  against 
another  some  way  above  it, — a  good  situation  for  our 
purpose.  We  had  killed  nearly  a  dozen  peccaries ; 
still  the  animals  seemed  totally  to  disregard  the  falling 
of  their  companions,  and  rushed  about  as  fiercely  as  at 
first.  We  at  length  began  to  fear  that  they  would  re- 
main till  we  were  starved,  for  we  had  already  expended 
the  greater  number  of  our  arrows.  Arthur  at  last  ad- 
vised that  we  should  stop  shooting,  in  the  hope  that, 
from  some  cause  or  other,  the  peccaries  would  raise  the 
siege  and  take  their  departure.  "  Even  could  we  cut 
up  the  slaughtered  animals,  we  could  not  carry  home 
a  quarter  of  them,  and  it  is  evidently  useless  to  shoot 
more  of  them,"  he  observed. 

Arthur  had  turned  round  to  speak  to  Tim,  when  I 
heard  him  whisper,  "  See,  see  !  look  at  that  creature!" 
Casting  my  eyes  in  the  direction  in  which  he  pointed, 
I  beheld  a  large  jaguar  stealing  cautiously  along  to- 
wards one  of  the  peccaries  which  lay  wounded  on  the 
ground.  We  kept  perfectly  silent,  as  we  hoped  the 
jaguar  would  not  only  carry  off  the  dying  peccary,  but 
a  few  of  its  living  companions.  The  loud  squeaks 
which  the  poor  wounded  peccary  set  up  on  finding 
itself  in  the  claws  of  the  savage  jaguar,  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  whole  herd  ;  but  instead  of  running 
away,  they  rushed  simultaneously  towards  him.  He 
saw  them  coming,  and  lifting  his  victim  in  his  jaws, 
he  bounded  off.      They  were  not,  however,  to  be  disap- 

(540)  23 


354  A  SUPPLY  OF  PORK. 

pointed  of  their  revenge,  and  away  tliey  all  started  in 
chase.  "We  watched  them  Avith  no  small  interest, — 
expecting,  however,  that  when  they  found  they  could 
not  overtake  the  jaguar  they  would  quickly  return  and 
again  lay  siege  to  us.  Greatly  to  our  satisfaction, 
however,  on  they  went. 

"  Now  is  our  time  ;  let  us  run  for  it !  "  exclaimed 
Arthur,  shouting  to  Tim,  who  speedily  descended  from 
the  tree. 

'^  Sure,  you  would  not  be  after  leaving  such  a  fine 
supply  of  good  pork,"  said  Tim,  drawing  his  knife.  "  If 
the  peccaries  come  back,  we  must  just  slip  up  our  trees 
again  ;  and  as  for  the  jaguar,  there's  little  chance  of  his 
showing  his  nose  here,  for  the  brutes  will  soon  kill 
him,  if  he  has  not  got  a  fast  pair  of  heels  of  his 
own." 

As  there  appeared  little  probability  of  the  peccaries 
returning,  we  followed  Tim's  advice,  and  began  cutting 
up  the  animals,  so  as  to  secure  the  best  joints  from 
each.  We  soon  had  three  as  heavy  loads  of  meat  as 
we  could  carry ;  and  placing  them  on  our  shoulders, 
we  set  off  towards  the  settlement  looking  back,  every 
now  and  then  to  ascertain  if  we  were  followed. 

"We  hastened  along  as  fast  as  we  could,  as  we  Avished 
not  only  to  escape  from  the  living  peccaries,  but  to 
bring  our  friends  to  carry  off  a  further  supply  of  the 
slaughtered  meat.  From  some  cause  or  other  Ave  were 
not   pursued,   and   arrived    safely  at    the    settlement. 


TAKING  STOCK.  355 

Our  friends  immediately  armed  themselves  with  bows 
and  arrows  and  spears,  and  got  ready  to  return  with 
us.  Kallolo  merely  took  his  blow-pipe  ;  and  giving  a 
peculiar  smile,  he  observed, — "  If  the  creatures  Avill 
kindly  come  near  me,  I  will  take  good  care  that  not 
one  of  them  gets  away."  However,  on  reaching  the 
spot  where  we  had  left  the  slaughtered  peccaries  no 
living  ones  were  to  be  seen,  nor  did  it  appear  that  the 
jaguar  had  come  back  for  any  of  them  ;  so  we  concluded 
that  he  had  either  been  killed,  that  the  savage  little 
brutes  had  driven  him  to  a  distance,  or  that  he  had 
crossed  a  piece  of  water,  into  which  they  themselves 
will  never  willingly  enter.  Several  vultures  and 
eagles  had,  however,  collected  to  enjoy  the  feast  we 
had  prepared  for  them,  while  two  armadillos  and 
numerous  insects  had  already  attacked  the  carcasses. 
We  found  that  several  of  those  we  had  last  killed  were 
untouched,  and  each  of  us  was  able  to  carry  back  a 
heavy  load  of  joints,  to  turn  into  hams  and  bacon  in 
our  smoking-house. 

We  had  now,  we  found  after  taking  stock  of  our 
provisions,  a  supply  sufficient  to  last  for  our  voyage  to 
Stabroek,  even  though  it  might  prove  longer  than  we 
calculated  on.  We  had  jars  of  clay  and  cuya-nuts  to 
carry  our  stock  of  water,  of  which  we  did  not  require 
much,  as  we  should  not  be  compelled  to  use  it  till  we 
got  out  of  the  river.  As  the  earthen  jars,  however, 
were  liable  to  be  broken.  Uncle   Paul  determined  to 


356  BOTTLES  OF  INDIA-RUBBER. 

manufacture  a  number  of  india-rubber  bottles.  They 
might  possibly  impart  an  unpleasant  odour  to  the 
water,  but  would  not  render  it  unwholesome  ;  and  this 
supply  would  serve  in  case  the  rest  should  be  exhausted. 
For  this  purpose  he  made  a  number  of  clay  moulds, 
with  round  sticks  for  the  mouths,  and  baked  them 
slightly.  He  then  covered  the  moulds  to  a  sufficient 
thickness  with  the  seringa  juice,  and  dried  them  in  the 
smoke  as  our  shoes  had  been.  The  moulds  were 
easily  broken  ;  and  the  pieces  being  taken  out,  the 
india-rubber  bottles  were  completed,  only  requiring 
corks  and  pieces  of  string  to  make  them  suitable  for 
our  object.  We  were  thus  supplied  with  the  chief 
means  of  supporting  existence  during  our  voyage.  We 
had  dried  fish  and  flesh,  nuts  and  preserved  fruit,  rice 
and  the  farinaceous  produce  of  the  palm-tree.  We 
were  more  indebted  to  various  species  of  palm  than  to 
any  other  tree,  both  for  fruit,  and  flour  to  supply  the 
place  of  wheat. 

In  a  spot  once  apparently  inhabited  by  Indians,  but 
long  since  abandoned,  were  several  peach-palms, — tall 
and  elegant  trees,  which  rose  to  the  height  of  sixty 
feet,  and  were  perfectly  straight.  Each  tree  bore 
several  bunches  of  fruit,  a  single  bunch  being  as  much 
as  the  strongest  of  our  party  could  carry.  The  fruit 
takes  its  name  from  the  colour  of  the  peach,  not  from 
its  flavour  or  nature,  for  it  is  dry  and  mealy,  and  we 
agreed,  when  tasting  it,  that  it  was  like  a  mixture  of 


PEACH-PALMS.  357 

chestnuts  and  cheese.  On  boiling  the  fruit  it  became 
nearly  as  mealy  as  a  potato.  Each  fruit  was  about  the 
size  of  a  large  peach.  We  found  it  very  nutritious  ; 
and  eight  or  ten  were  as  much  as  one  of  us  could  eat  at 
a  meal.  The  appearance  of  the  tree  is  very  beautiful, 
owing  to  the  rich  colour  of  the  foliage.  The  leaves  are 
green,  evenly  arched  over  and  forming  a  deep  green 
vault,  with  the  heavy  clusters  of  ripe  red  fruit  hang- 
ing beneath  it.  We  were  attracted  to  the  spot  by  seeing 
numerous  vultures  hovering  over  it  ;  and  on  reaching 
the  tree  we  found  that  they  had  come  not  to  devour 
a  carcass  beneath,  as  we  had  supposed,  but  to  feed  on 
the  fruit. 

Another  palm,  the  assai,  afforded  us  an  abundance 
of  berries,  about  the  size  of  a  cranberry,  and  of  a  dark 
brown  colour.  From  it  we  manufactured  a  refreshing 
beverage.  The  trunk  is  perfectly  smooth,  and  the 
fruit  grows  in  heavy  clusters  just  below  the  long  leaves 
which  crown  its  summit.  At  first  we  thought  it 
would  be  impossible  to  reach  them,  but  Maco  showed 
us  how  they  were  to  be  obtained.  Binding  his  feet 
together  by  a  strip  of  palm  leaves  above  his  instep,  he 
pressed  his  knees  against  the  trunk,  and  quickly  as- 
cended the  polished  stem,  till  he  reached  the  fruit  at  the 
summit. 

Although  we  could  generally  obtain  as  much  game 
as  we  required  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the 
settlement,  we  occasionally  made  long  excursions,  for 


358  MAGNIFICENT  WATER-LILIES. 

the  purpose  of  seeking  for  a  variety.  I  had  one  day 
accompanied  Kallolo  further  to  the  north,  along  the 
shore  of  the  lake,  than  we  had  hitherto  gone.  As  we 
were  pushing  our  way  through  the  forest,  we  unex- 
pectedly came  upon  the  shores  of  a  small  lake,  united, 
as  we  afterwards  discovered,  with  several  other  lakes  of 
a  similar  size  and  appearance.  As  we  stood  there,  con- 
cealed by  the  trees  which  thickly  covered  its  banks, 
Kallolo  w^hispered  to  me,  ''Don't  move  or  make  the 
slightest  sound,  and  we  will  quickly  capture  a  bird 
which  will  be  highly  prized  by  our  friends."  He 
pointed,  as  he  spoke,  to  the  water,  on  which  I  ob- 
served a  number  of  enormous  circular  leaves  floating, 
like  vast  dishes,  their  edges  turned  up  all  round,  and 
with  beautiful  flowers  rising  amidst  them.  But  what 
was  more  surprising  than  the  leaves,  was  to  see  a  large 
bird  with  long  legs  calmly  walking  over  them,  and,  as 
far  as  I  could  judge,  scarcely  making  them  sink  in  the 
slio:htest  degree  in  the  water. 

Kallolo,  telling  me  to  remain  quiet,  threw  off"  his 
clothes,  and  having  covered  his  head  with  a  bunch  of 
grass  Avhich  he  hastily  plucked  from  the  bank,  he 
made  his  way  amid  the  water  towards  the  bird  ; 
which,  standing  on  a  leaf,  was  engaged  in  picking 
up  aquatic  insects  floating  by,  and  uttering  a  low- 
sounding  "cluck,  cluck"  at  short  intervals.  When 
the  bird  tuiiied  towards  Kallolo,  he  immediately 
stopped  ;  then  on  he  went  again,  till  he  got  close  be- 


CATCHING     A     JACANA. 


KALLOLO  CAPTURES  A  JACANA.         361 

hind  it,  when,  suddenly  darting  out  his  hand,  he  seized 
it  by  its  long  legs  and  drew  it  quickly  under  water. 
The  bird  struggled  in  vain  to  free  itself,  and  Kallolo 
brought  it  to  me  in  triumph.  It  was,  he  told  me, 
called  the  oven-bird,  because  it  walks  over  those  enor- 
mous leaves  shaped  like  the  pans  used  for  baking  the 
mandioca.  I  at  once  recognized  it  as  the  jacana.  It 
had  black  plumage,  with  a  greenish  gloss ;  its  legs 
were  very  long  and  slight,  as  were  its  toes  and  claws, 
especially  the  hind  toe.  The  body,  though  it  appeared 
large,  was  of  a  singularly  light  construction,  so  that  it 
weighs  but  little  when  pressing  on  the  floating  leaves. 
Indeed,  on  measuring  it  we  found  that  it  was  about 
ten  inches  long ;  the  beak,  of  an  orange  colour,  being 
upwards  of  an  inch  in  length.  We  carried  home  our 
captive  ;  but  though  we  were  anxious  to  keep  it  and 
tame  it,  it  died  in  a  few  da^^s,  probably  from  being 
unable  to  obtain  the  food  to  which  it  was  accustomed. 
The  day  after  this  adventure  I  was  in  the  woods, 
when  I  saw  the  grass  close  to  me  move  ;  I  started 
back,  supposing  that  a  serpent  was  crossing  my  path, 
and  might  spring  on  me.  I  stood  prepared  with  my 
stick  to  strike  it  without  any  sensation  of  fear ;  in- 
deed, no  snakes  need  be  dreaded  by  persons  of  good 
nerve  and  correct  eye,  if  seen  in  time.  I  watched  the 
spot,  when,  instead  of  a  snake,  a  land-tortoise  came 
creeping  along.  I  immediately  pounced  upon  it,  and 
carried  it  off.   It  weighed,  I  judged,  about  twenty  pounds. 


362  LAND-TORTOISES. 

Sambo  was  well-pleased  at  seeing  it.  ''This  is 
better  food  than  any  we  have  yet  found!"  he  ex- 
claimed. ''  If  we  can  catch  a  few  more,  we  shall  have 
enough  fresh  provisions  during  the  voyage,  for  they 
will  live  a  long  time  without  eating." 

As  it  was  possible  that  more  might  be  found  in  the 
same  spot,  Sambo  and  Maco  set  off  with  me  to  hunt 
for  them.  We  were  more  successful  than  we  expected, 
for  we  had  fallen,  it  appeared,  on  a  colony  of  the 
creatures  ;  and  in  a  short  time  we  captured  six,  of 
about  the  same  size  as  the  first.  Maco  said  that,  as 
they  seldom  move  far  from  home,  we  should  probably 
catch  many  more. 

We  returned  home  with  a  tortoise  under  each  arm  ; 
and  we  had  now  to  consider  how  they  were  to  be  kept. 
They  would  not  remain  quietly  on  their  backs,  as 
turtle  are  wont  to  do  ;  for  immediately  they  were  put 
in  that  position  they  managed  to  turn  over,  and 
began  to  crawl  away.  It  was  therefore  settled  that 
we  should  build  a  pen  in  which  to  confine  them  till 
we  were  ready  to  sail. 

We  set  to  work  at  once,  having  in  the  meantime 
secured  ropes  round  their  bodies,  and  tethered  them 
to  sticks ;  and  before  night  we  had  put  up  a  pen  of 
sufficient  size  to  contain  as  many  as  we  were  likely 
to  catch.  As  they  cannot  climb,  the  palings  were 
of  no  great  height ;  while,  as  the  creatures  require 
a  good  sized  hole  to  get  through,  we  were  able  to  put 


A  SEARCH  FOR  TURTLE.  363 

the  stakes  some  distance  apart.  We  at  once  turned 
in  our  tortoises,  and  gave  them  various  fruits,  all  of 
which  they  ate  willingly. 

The  tortoises  made  us  think  of  turtle.  Thousfh 
turtle  flesh  is  not  considered  by  many  people  to  equal 
that  of  the  tortoise,  it  was  very  desirable  that  we 
should  obtain  some,  as  they  also  can  be  preserved  a 
long  time  on  board  ship. 

It  was  now  about  the  time  when  they  come  on 
shore  to  lay  their  eggs,  so  we  agreed  to  make  an 
excursion  along  the  borders  of  the  lake,  in  the  hope 
of  finding  some  sandy  beach  which  they  might  have 
chosen  for  that  object.  As  it  was  a  matter  of  impor- 
tance. Uncle  Paul  determined  to  go  himself  on  the 
smaller  raft,  taking  Sambo,  Kallolo,  and  me  with 
him.  We  started  at  daybreak,  provisioned  for  three 
days  ;  but  as  Kallolo  carried  his  blow-pipe,  and  we 
our  bows  and  arrows,  with  our  long  pointed  sticks  for 
spears,  and  some  fishing-lines,  we  could  obtain  more 
food  should  we  require  it. 

We  kept  along  the  western  shore  of  the  lake  towards 
the  north,  passing  on  our  way  several  inlets,  which 
led,  we  had  no  doubt,  to  other  lakes  in  the  interior, 
similar  to  the  one  in  which  we  had  caught  the  jacana. 
After  we  had  gone  some  distance,  no  sandy  beach 
appearing  in  which  turtle  were  likely  to  lay  their 
eggs,  we  began  to  despair  of  obtaining  our  object. 
Stiil  Uncle   Paul  determined  to  go  further.      He  ex- 


864  SHOOTING  TURTLE. 

pressed  liis  regret  that  we  had  not  built  a  canoe  in 
the  first  instance.  We  might  then  have  navigated 
the  shores  of  the  lake  to  a  considerable  distance  ;  and 
it  would  also  have  served  us  far  better  than  the  raft 
for  fishing.  However,  as  it  would  have  occupied  not 
only  our  time,  but  engaged  the  tools  which  were 
required  for  building  the  vessel,  it  had  not  been  con- 
sidered advisable  to  attempt  the  construction  of  one. 

The  wind  being  from  the  south,  we  glided  calmly 
on  before  it.  Sometimes,  when  the  wind  was  fresh, 
we  made  good  way  ;  at  others,  when  it  fell,  we  had 
again  to  take  to  our  paddles. 

We  were  thus  moving  forward,  when  Kallolo 
espied  an  object  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 
"Paddle  slowly!"  he  said;  ''and  make  as  little 
noise  as  possible.  There  is  a  sleeping  turtle  ;  and 
though  we  cannot  catch  it  alive,  we  will  have  it  not- 
withstanding." Saying  this,  he  got  his  bow  ready, 
with  one  of  several  large  arrows  which  he  had  formed 
fixed  in  it.  We  had  cautiously  approached  ;  when, 
standing  up,  he  shot  his  arrow  into  the  air,  which 
formed  a  curve  and  came  down  perpendicularly  on  the 
shell  of  the  turtle. 

*'  Paddle  up  rapidly  i"  he  exclaimed.  W^e  did  as  he 
directed,  but  just  as  we  got  near  it  the  turtle  disap- 
peared beneath  the  surface.  The  shaft  of  the  arrow, 
however,  remaining  above  it,  Kallolo  sprang  into  the 
water  and  caught  it  just  as  it  was  sinking,  and  towed 


A  SAXDY  BEACH.  365 

it  alongside.  Passing  a  rope  round  the  body  of  the 
turtle,  we  next  hauled  it  on  board,  when  Kallolo,  break- 
ing off  the  shaft,  turned  the  animal  on  its  back.  It 
was  alive,  but  from  the  weak  way  in  which  it  moved 
its  legs  it  was  evident  that  life  was  ebbing  fast.  We 
should,  at  all  events,  not  return  empty-handed. 

We  were  at  last  thinking  of  putting  about,  when 
Uncle  Paul,  who  was  taking  another  look  along  the 
shore,  announced  that  he  saw  just  such  a  beach  as  we 
were  in  search  of  We  at  once  with  renewed  vig-our 
paddled  towards  it,  and  as  we  drew  nearer  he  de- 
clared his  belief  that  we  should  find  it  frequented  by 
turtle.  Instead  of  landing  on  the  beach,  however,  we 
paddled  in  on  one  side,  and  there  saw  an  open  space 
which  would  afford  us  camping-ground.  As  turtles 
are  timid  creatures,  and  will  not  lay  their  eggs  on 
ground  disturbed  by  the  footsteps  of  their  human  or 
other  foes,  it  was  important  not  to  walk  over  the 
ground  until  they  had  come  on  shore.  This  they  do 
during  the  night,  though  they  do  not  return  to  the 
water  till  after  sunrise. 

We  built  a  hut  of  boughs,  and  lighting  a  fire, 
cooked  our  provisions  ;  then,  having  eaten  our  supper, 
we  lay  down  to  rest,  one  of  us  keeping  watch  while 
the  rest  slept. 

Uncle  Paul,  who  had  chosen  the  morning  watch, 
called  us  just  before  daylight.  We  made  our  way 
along  the  shore,  cautiously  approaching  the  beach,  on 


S66       A  DIFFICULTY,  AND  HOW  WE  GOT  OUT  OF  IT. 

which,  to  our  infinite  satisfaction,  we  saw  a  number  of 
dark  objects  crawling  slowly  along.  We  now  hurried 
forward — Uncle  Paul  and  Kallolo  taking  one  side,  Tim 
and  I  the  other — and  were  soon  among  the  turtle, 
which,  with  all  the  strcngth  we  could  exert,  we  rapidly 
turned  over  on  their  backs.  On  seeing  us,  the  crea- 
tures began  to  crawl  away  towards  the  water ;  but 
we  were  too  quick  for  many  of  them,  and  in  a  short 
time  had,  between  us,  turned  over  twenty. 

There  they  lay,  utterly  helpless  and  at  our  mercy. 
But  what  to  do  with  them,  was  the  first  question. 
We  could  not  carry  them  all  on  the  raft,  and  if  we 
left  them,  they  would  certainly  become  the  prey  of 
jaguars  or  alligators,  and  probably  vultures  and  eagles. 
Indeed,  the  poor  turtle  finds,  from  its  birth  to 
the  day  of  its  death,  innumerable  enemies  ready  to 
prey  on  it.  I,  as  a  joke,  recommended  harnessing 
them,  and  letting  them  tow  us  ;  but  Sambo  observed 
gravely  that,  as  we  could  not  guide  them,  they  were 
very  likely  to  carry  us  off*  in  exactly  the  opposite 
direction  to  that  we  wished  to  go. 

As  the  raft,  we  calculated,  could  only  carry  six,  we 
at  last  determined  to  build  a  pen  in  which  to  leave 
them,  on  their  backs,  and  to  cover  it  over  with  boughs, 
so  as  to  protect  them  from  the  attacks  of  any  of  the 
foes  I  have  mentioned.  As  it  was  only  necessary  to 
cut  sticks  for  the  purpose  four  or  five  feet  long,  we 
soon   had   enough   prepared,    with   a   number   of  the 


OUR  TURTLE-PEN.  367 

heaviest  boughs  we  could  manage  to  bring  to  the  spot. 
We  then  dragged  our  captives  to  the  pen,  and  covered 
them  up.  People  in  general  do  not  take  this  pre- 
caution, but  then  they  always  leave  some  one  to  watch 
the  turned  turtles  till  they  can  carry  them  away. 

Placing  the  others  on  the  raft,  in  high  spiiits  we 
commenced  our  return  voyage.  We  met  with  no 
accident  by  the  way,  and,  of  course,  were  heartily 
welcomed. 

While  we  set  off  again,  the  rest  of  the  party  com- 
menced building  a  pen  on  the  shore  of  the  lake,  by 
driving  in  sticks,  so  as  to  enclose  a  semicircular  piece 
of  water,  in  which  the  turtles  might  live  at  their 
ease.  And  on  this  occasion  we  carried  with  us  a 
number  of  baskets,  to  fill  with  turtles'  e^crs. 

On  reaching  the  spot  where  we  had  left  our  turtles, 
we  found  that  our  precautions  had  not  been  in  vain. 
An  alligator  had  apparently  poked  his  nose  against 
the  sticks,  but  had  been  unable  to  uproot  them  ;  and 
one  or  more  jaguars  had  certainly  visited  the  spot, 
but  had  not  succeeded  in  breaking  through  the  thick 
roof.  During  the  previous  night  more  turtle  had, 
we  found,  visited  the  spot,  and  we  very  speedily  filled 
our  baskets  with  eggs. 

We  had  also  brought  with  us  a  large  trough  and 
several  clay  jars.  We  broke  a  considerable  number  of 
eggs  into  the  trough,  filling  it  to  the  brim.  In  a 
short  time  a  rich  oil  rose  to  the    surface.      This  we 


368  THE  VESSEL  COMPLETED. 

skimmed  off  and  put  into  the  jars  ;  repeating  the  pro- 
cess till  all  our  jars  were  full.  We  had  thus  a  good 
sup]3ly  of  excellent  oil,  for  any  purpose  for  which  it 
might  be  required.  Then,  somewhat  heavily  laden, 
we  returned  homewards. 

"  Well  done,  my  friends!  you  have  amply  provisioned 
the  Good  Hope ;  and,  please  Heaven,  we  will  in  a  few 
days  get  her  off  the  stocks  and  ready  for  rigging!"  ex- 
claimed the  skipper.  "  That  w^ill  not  take  long  ;  and 
we  may  then,  before  the  rain  sets  in,  bid  farewell  to 
this  place,  which  we  shall  ever  remember  with  affection 
for  the  happy  home  it  has  afforded  us  for  so  many 
months." 

We  were  now  more  busy  than  ever.  The  last 
planks  were  put  on.  Our  craft  was  completely 
decked  over,  and  a  cabin  raised  in  the  after-part  for 
Marian  and  my  father.  We  had  manufactured  an 
ample  supply  of  sail-cloth,  which,  with  the  addition  of 
the  sail  saved  from  the  old  craft,  would  be  sufficient 
Cordage  and  blocks  had  been  made,  and  the  masts  and 
spars  were  already  put  up.  The  fibres  of  several 
plants  served  as  oakum  for  calking  the  planks ;  and 
two  or  three  resinous  trees  afforded  pitch  for  the 
seams,  as  also  for  paying  over  the  outside.  As  we 
had  no  paint,  the  interior  was  covered  over  with  a 
varnish  which  quickly  became  hard. 

The  day  for  the  launch  Avas  at  last  fixed.  We  had 
no  gay-coloured  flags,  but  Sambo  had  preserved  a  red 


LAUNCH  OF  THE  ''GOOD  HOPE.  369 

handkerchief,  which  was  hoisted  to  the  head  of  the 
main-mast,  and  waved  proudly  in  the  breeze.  The 
sky  was  bright,  the  wind  light  and  balmy.  The 
shores  were  then  knocked  away ;  and,  with  loud  cheers, 
and  prayers  that  the  Good  Hope  might  have  a  prosperous 
voyage,  we  saw  her  glide  gently  into  the  waters  of  the 
lake,  on  which  she  sat,  as  Peter  observed,  like  a  wild 
duck  ready  to  take  wing.  We  had  formed  a  rough 
pier  with  the  trunks  of  two  large  trees,  alongside  of 
which  she  was  hauled,  for  the  greater  facility  of  carry- 
ing her  rigging  and  spars  aboard.  The  rafts  were 
drawn  up  on  the  other  side  for  the  same  purpose — the 
last  service  they  were  likely  to  render  us. 

Though  we  had  an  abundance  of  substantial  pro- 
visions, we  required  for  our  daily  wants  a  supply  of 
fruit  and  vegetables,  as  also  some  wild-fowl  and  other 
birds.  For  the  purpose  of  obtaining  them,  Kallolo 
and  I  set  out  one  morning,  each  of  us  carrying  a  large 
basket  on  our  back;  he  with  his  blow-pipe  in  his 
hand,  and  I  with  my  bow  in  mine,  and  our  pointed 
sticks,  without  which  we  never  went  out.  We  took 
the  way  towards  the  small  lakes,  where  we  were 
certain  to  find  birds,  and  probably  a  variety  of  fruits, 
as  so  bountifully  is  that  land  supplied  by  nature,  that 
some  fruits  are  found  in  perfection  all  the  year  round, 
though  we  had  to  go  further  than  usual  to  obtain 
them. 

We  reached  the  lake  where  Kallolo  had  caught  the 

(5io)  24 


370  SUSPICIOUS  STRANGERS. 

jacana ;  and  skirting  its  shore,  we  passed  along  a  nar- 
row causeway  which  separated  it  from  another  lake  of 
smaller  dimensions.  We  were  still  proceeding,  when 
Kallolo  stopped  me/ and  pointed  to  a  thin  column  of 
smoke  which  arose  at  some  distance,  apparently  from 
a  fire  kindled  close  to  the  shore. 

*'  There  must  be  natives  there,"  he  whispered  ; 
''  but  whether  they  are  likely  to  prove  friends  or  foes,  I 
cannot  say  till  I  have  got  a  sight  of  them.  Stop  here 
while  I  wade  into  the  lake  ;  I  see  by  the  character  of 
the  water-plants  that  it  is  shallow,  and  by  keeping 
behind  the  bushes  I  may  observe  them  without  being 
seen  myself" 

He  did  as  he  proposed,  and,  while  I  remained  hidden 
behind  the  bushes,  made  his  way,  now  swimming,  now 
wading,  towards  the  opening  where  he  had  seen  the 
smoke.  I  watched  him  anxiously.  He  stopped,  at 
leno^th,  restino:  his  hand  on  a  fallen  trunk,  and  look- 
ing  out  eagerly  before  him  ;  while  I  kept  an  arrow 
fixed  in  my  bow,  ready  to  shoot  should  the  strangers 
discover  him.  Slowly  sinking  down,  so  as  the  more 
effectually  to  conceal  himself,  he  made  his  way  towards 
where  I  anxiously  awaited  his  return.  I  saw  by  the 
caution  he  used  that  he  was  not  satisfied. 

"  We  must  hurry  away  from  hence,"  he  whispered. 
**  I  saw  a  large  number  of  people  ;  and,  from  their 
paint  and  the  weapons  they  carry,  I  have  no  doubt 
that  they  are  out  on  a  warlike  expedition.      They  pro- 


AN      ENEMY      IN      SIGHT. 


A  BUSY  TIME.  373 

bably  are  not  aware  that  we  are  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  they  may  pass  by  without  discovering  us  ;  but  if 
they  do  so,  and  find  how  few  we  are  in  number,  they 
may  be  tempted  to  attack  us,  under  the  belief  that  we 
possess  such  articles  as  they  value." 

Kallolo  said  this  as  we  hurried  away.  We  were 
soon  out  of  sight  of  the  strangers,  but  he  considered  it 
imprudent  to  remain  in  their  vicinity  ;  and  although 
we  had  collected  only  a  portion  of  the  fruit  for  which 
we  had  come,  and  killed  but  a  few  birds,  we  hurried 
back  to  the  village. 

The  account  we  gave  made  every  one  more  anxious 
than  ever  to  get  the  vessel  ready  for  sea  without  delay, 
so  that,  should  the  natives  attack  us,  we  mio-ht,  as 
we  had  no  adequate  means  of  defence,  hurry  on  board 
and  push  off  into  the  lake,  even  though  the  rigging  of 
the  craft  was  not  complete.  All  hands  therefore 
worked  away  till  darkness  put  an  end  to  our  labours. 
Kallolo  and  Maco  then  volunteered  to  go  out  as  scouts, 
to  ascertain  if  the  strangers  were  approaching,  that 
we  might  not  be  taken  by  surprise. 

The  night,  however,  passed  away  as  usual ;  and 
next  morning,  as  soon  as  daylight  returned  we  were 
all  on  foot — the  seamen  of  the  partj^  engaged  in 
rigging  the  vessel,  while  the  rest  of  us  carried  pro- 
visions on  board.  Marian  took  her  share  in  all  our 
labours,  as  she  had  done  in  manufacturing  the  sails, 
the   matting  for   makinoj   the  baskets,   and   even   the 


374  PREPARATIONS  FOR  EMBARKING. 

ropes,  and  in  preparing  the  provisions.  We  were  all, 
indeed,  as  busy  as  ants,  going  backwards  and  forwards 
from  the  store-house  to  the  vessel.  The  last  of  the 
provisions  carried  on  board  were  the  turtles  and  tor- 
toises. The  former  were  laid  on  their  backs  on  deck, 
covered  with  a  piece  of  matting ;  and  the  latter  were 
shut  up  in  a  box  formed  for  them  in  the  hold. 

Another  day  came  to  an  end,  and  the  Indians,  as 
before,  went  out  to  act  the  part  of  scouts.  On  their 
i^eturn  they  brought  the  intelligence  that  the  strangers 
had  kept  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  and  would, 
they  supposed,  pass  at  a  distance  from  the  settlement. 
However,  as  we  could  not  be  certain  that  this  would 
be  the  case,  it  was  agreed  that  it  would  be  wise  to 
keep  a  sharp  look-out  as  long  as  we  remained  on  shore. 

We  had  now  only  to  bend  the  sails.  All  who  were 
required  were  engaged  in  the  work,  while  the  rest 
were  employed  in  conveying  on  board  the  last  remain- 
ing articles.  Polo,  who,  never  having  been  at  sea, 
was  the  least  handy  on  board,  had  gone  a  short  distance 
from  the  huts  to  shoot  some  parrots  from  a  flock 
which  frequented  the  neighbourhood,  and  which  had 
already  supplied  us  with  several  of  their  number. 
They  were  to  be  cooked,  with  the  flesh  of  one  of  the 
turtles,  before  we  embarked,  as  our  culinary  appliances 
on  board  were  limited.  We  had  contrived  a  stove  made 
of  clay,  but,  as  it  was  of  small  dimensions,  it  would 
only  serve  for  boiling  our  kettle  and  preparing  small 


AN  ALARM.  375 

dishes.  I  was  assisting  Marian  to  pack  up  some  food 
for  her  favourites,  which  were  standing  around  her  :  the 
ara  parrot  perched  on  her  shoulder,  the  curassoAV  run- 
ning round  and  picking  up  the  grain  which  I  let  drop, 
while  Quacko  was  seated  on  the  roof  of  her  hut, 
munching  a  nut.  My  father  and  Arthur  were  engaged 
in  some  other  way  ;  and  Tim  had  just  got  a  load  on 
his  shoulders,  when,  hearing  a  shout,  we  looked  round 
and  saw  Polo  running  at  full  speed  towards  us. 

"  Fly  !  fly  !  Hasten,  my  masters  ;  escape  for  your 
lives  !  "  he  exclaimed  in  eager  tones.  "  The  enemy 
have  caught  sight  of  me,  and  are  following.  There 
are  hundreds  of  them  ;  and  they  will  destroy  us  all,  if 
they  catch  us  1 " 

Though  I  was  at  first  inclined  to  believe  that  there 
could  scarcely  be  so  much  cause  for  Polo's  alarm,  yet 
I  saw  that  my  father  and  Arthur  considered  the  matter 
in  a  serious  light. 

"  Guy,  my  boy,  go  at  once  on  board  with  Marian. 
Arthur  and  I  will  follow,"  cried  my  father. 

Captain  van  Dunk,  hearing  Polo's  shouts,  inquired 
what  was  the  matter.  Polo  repeated  what  he  had 
said  to  us.  "  We  will  shove  off  at  once,  then,"  ex- 
claimed the  skipper.  ''  If  the  people  approaching 
prove  friendly,  we  can  return  and  get  whatever  re- 
mains. As  prudent  people,  we  should  not  longer 
delay." 

I  took  Marian's  hand,  and  followed  by  our  feathered 


376  INTO  DEEP  WATER. 

pets  and  a  couple  of  young  monkeys  in  addition  to 
Quacko,  we  hastened  along  the  stage  to  the  Good  Hope. 
Having  seen  her  safe  on  board,  I  was  about  to  return 
and  assist  in  bringing  the  few  things  which  remained, 
when  I  caught  sight  of  a  number  of  dusky  forms  in 
the  distance,  a  bristling  array  of  bows  and  spears  being 
visible  above  their  heads.  The  captain  shouted  to  my 
father  and  the  rest  to  hasten  their  steps,  while  those 
on  board  got  out  some  long  poles  prepared  for  impel- 
ling the  vessel  when  in  shallow  water. 

The  shouts  of  the  savages  rang  through  the  forest. 
It  was  very  evident  that  we  had  been  discovered,  and 
that  they  intended  to  attack  us.  My  father  and 
Arthur  came  hurrying  to  the  beach  ;  Maco  came  next, 
bearing  a  load  ;  and  Tim,  who  seemed  to  consider  it  a 
duty  to  remain  till  the  last  for  the  defence  of  his 
master,  brought  up  the  rear.  There  was  no  time  to 
be  lost.  The  captain  and  Peter  stretched  out  their 
hands  to  help  them  on  board  ;  and  no  sooner  had  Tim 
leaped  on  the  deck  than  the  last  warp  was  cast  off, 
and  the  Good  Hope  began  to  move  into  deep  water. 
At  that  moment  our  poor  tapir,  which  had  been  feeding 
at  a  safe  distance,  came  trotting  down  to  the  beach. 
He  could  not  under  any  circumstances  have  been  taken 
on  board,  as  from  his  bulk  and  weight  he  would  have 
been  too  much  in  the  way  ;  but  we  were  very  sorry  to 
leave  him  behind,  especially  when  we  saw  him  wading 
into  the  lake  till  his  head  alone  appeared  above  water. 


OUTWITTING  THE  SAVAGES.  377 

Our  attention,  however,  was  occupied  in  watching 
the  savages,  who  now,  in  overwhelming  numbers,  came 
rushing  into  the  midst  of  our  little  village.  On  find- 
ing that  we  had  escaped,  they  hurried  down  to  the 
beach,  uttering  loud  shrieks  and  cries,  and  ordering  us 
to  return  ;  while  some,  drawing  their  bows,  shot  their 
arrows  towards  us.  This,  of  course,  increased  our 
anxiety  to  escape  from  them  ;  so  the  oars  were  got  out 
and  we  pulled  lustily  away,  till  a  light  breeze  getting 
up,  we  hoisted  our  sail,  and  the  Good  Hope  began  to 
glide  rapidly  across  the  smooth  waters  of  the  lake. 

On  looking  back  we  saw  the  natives  shooting  their 
arrows  towards  us,  and  frantically  waving  their  spears  ; 
while  behind  them  rose  a  volume  of  smoke  above  the 
bright  flames  which  were  consuming  our  little  village. 
I  could  not  help  fearing  that  they  had  vented  their 
rage  on  the  poor  tapir,  which  could  scarcely  have  had 
time  to  regain  the  shore  before  they  reached  it.  Our 
huts,  too,  must  have  been  completely  consumed ;  but 
as  we  stood  across  the  lake  a  point  of  land  shut  out  for 
ever  our  little  settlement  from  our  eyes. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

OUR    PETS— THE    GALE — THE    SKIPPER'S   VEXATION — ALARMING   INTELLIGENCE  — 

THE    CHASE — OUR    PURSUERS    ON    SHORE WE   REACH   STABROEK — WELCOME 

INTELLIGENCE — OUR    RETURN     TO     TRINIDAD — MY     FATHER'S     DEATH — CON- 
CLUSION. 

'E  glided  slowly  across  the  lake  during  the 
night,  and  at  early  dawn  came  in  sight  of 
£^'m^^^  the  entrance  of  a  broad  passage,  which  our 
good  captain  believed  would  lead  us  through 
a  chain  of  lakes  into  the  river  by  which  we 
had  come.  The  wind  favoured  us,  and  either  the  cap- 
tain or  his  mate  were  continually  sounding  with  long 
poles,  to  avoid  the  risk  of  running  on  any  hidden  sand- 
bank which  might  lie  in  our  course. 

The  appearance  of  the  banks  was  greatly  changed  : 
long  grass  and  shrubs  grew  on  spots  before  concealed  by 
water  ;  small  islands  covered  with  vegetation  were  seen 
where  we  had  supposed  no  land  existed.  Navigation, 
therefore,  was  extremely  difficult,  and  the  greatest 
caution  was  necessary  to  escape  running  on  shore. 
Still,  the  depth  of  water  was  considerable,  so  that  we 
had  no  fear  of  being  stopped  by  impassable  sand-banks 
or  shoals.      In  several  places  which  had  before  been 


VOYAGE      DOWN      THE      RIVER. 


VOYAGE  DOWN  THE  RIVER.  881 

overspread  by  the  water  we  saw  native  huts,  with  the 
inhabitants — who  gazed  at  us  with  astonishment  as  we 
passed — collected  round  them.  Some  followed  us  in 
canoes,  but  ignorant  that  we  were  not  possessed  of 
firearms,  they  kept  at  a  distance.  Occasionally  a  few 
Indians  came  ofi"  to  trade,  bringing  tortoises  and  fruit ; 
but  as  we  would  not  allow  them  on  board,  they  did 
not  discover  our  defenceless  condition  ;  and  we  took 
good  care  to  hide  our  bows  and  arrows,  which  would 
have  made  them  suspect  that  we  had  no  firearms. 

We  were  somewhat  closely  packed  on  board  the 
little  vessel,  what  with  twelve  hum.an  beings,  three 
monkeys,  the  curassow,  the  macaw,  two  parrots  and 
three  parrakeets — one  with  a  yellow  top-knot,  who, 
from  his  manners,  showed  that  he  considered  himself 
the  chief  of  the  party,  and  deserving  of  the  most  atten- 
tion ;  then  there  wei^  ten  turtles  and  a  number  of 
tortoises.  The  turtles,  however,  were  stowed  in  the 
hold,  and  served  as  ballast.  Quacko  and  the  par- 
rots afforded  us  constant  amusement.  The  former 
generally  took  up  his  seat  on  the  roof  of  the  cabin,  in 
front  of  the  parrots,  whose  perches  were  fixed  upon  it. 
Arthur,  Marian,  and  I  took  infinite  pains  to  improve 
their  manners  and  teach  them  all  sort  of  tricks,  so  that 
they  might  be  fit,  as  Marian  observed,  to  appear  in 
civilized  society. 

Though  we  had  been  very  happy  during  our  long 
sojourn  in  the  wilds  of  the  Orinoco,  tlie  elders  of  the 


382  DISORDERLY  PETS. 

party  especially  looked  forward  with  satisfaction  to 
reaching  a  place  where  we  could  live  without  fear 
of  attack  from  savages,  anacondas,  or  wild  beasts, 
and  where  we  could  hear  what  was  going  on  in  the 
world.  Marian  and  I  agreed,  however,  that  we  should 
have  been  very  happy  to  have  remained  on  at  our 
settlement  as  long  as  our  friends  liked  to  stay. 

We  now  and  then,  I  must  confess,  had  some  dif- 
ficulty in  keeping  our  pets  in  order.  They  had  got 
on  very  well  on  shore,  but  in  the  close  contact  to 
which  they  were  subjected  on  board  their  tempers  were 
somewhat  tried,  and  Uncle  Paul  suggested  that  we 
should  take  immediate  steps  for  the  setting  up  of  family 
government.  Jack,  the  macaw,  though  he  had  been 
placed  on  the  highest  perch  as  a  post  of  honour, 
was  continually  climbing  down  to  quarrel  with  the 
parrots,  and  creating  a  fearful  hubbub  with  his  hoarse 
screaming  ;  while  the  parrots  fought  desperately  over 
their  food.  One  day  they  and  the  macaw,  while 
wrandino:  toofether,  in  the  blindness  of  their  anger 
tumbled  overboard;  and  had  not  Sambo  jumped  into 
the  water  and  hauled  them  out,  they  would  have  all 
three  been  drowned,  or  fallen  into  the  maw  of  some 
ravenous  alligator.  The  parrakeets  were  as  quarrel- 
some as  their  larger  brethren — yellow-top  considered 
himself  quite  as  good  as  a  dozen  green  ones ;  while 
they,  with  their  loud  screeches,  created  such  a  distur- 
bance that  the  skipper  sometimes  threatened  to  send 


DOWN  THE  STREAM.  383 

them  on  shore,  where  they  might  settle  their  disputes 
by  themselves.  Sometimes  the  three  parrakeets  would 
band  together,  and  trotting  up  and  down  would  insult 
the  parrots.  When  a  flock  of  their  relatives  passed 
over  the  vessel,  the  whole  feathered  community  would 
set  up  so  terrific  a  scream,  that  it  might  have  been 
heard  by  every  bird  within  the  circuit  of  a  mile.  The 
curassow  was  the  best  behaved  of  the  party.  When 
her  meals  were  over  she  would  sit  for  hours  together 
at  Marian's  feet,  who  was  diligently  endeavouring  to 
repair  some  of  her  worn-out  garments,  so  as  to  appear 
respectable  on  her  arrival.  Crass  made  herself  very 
useful,  also,  in  eating  up  the  flies  and  other  insects 
which  came  on  board. 

At  length  we  reached  the  main  stream  of  the 
Orinoco,  down  which  we  glided  rapidly  with  the  cur- 
rent. We  were  not,  however,  destined  to  perform  our 
voyage  without  further  adventures.  The  weather, 
hitherto  fine,  suddenly  changed,  and  a  strong  wind 
got  up,  which  blew  in  our  teeth.  It  increased  to  a 
gale,  which  sorely  tried  the  little  craft,  and  threatened 
to  tear  our  sails  into  ribbons.  Happily  a  deep  bay,  or 
the  mouth  of  a  river  or  igarape,  appeared  on  our 
starboard  hand  ;  and  running  into  it  we  found  shelter 
beneath  a  lofty  bank,  where  there  was  deep  water 
close  to  the  shore.  Recollecting  our  former  escape,  we 
could  not  help  fearing  that,  should  the  wind  change,  we 
might  meet  with  a  similar  accident.      We  had,  I  should 


384  TAKING  SHELTER. 

have  said,  an  anchor  made  of  very  heavy,  hard  wood, 
weighted  with  stones  bound  on  by  stout  ropes.  It 
was,  as  may  be  supposed,  an  unwieldy  and  ugly  affair  ; 
and,  as  we  could  not  have  carried  another,  we  had  to 
be  very  careful  not  to  lose  it. 

The  wind  howled  and  the  tall  trees  waved  above 
our  heads,  but  we  lay  secure  ;  the  only  risk  being 
from  some  giant  of  the  forest,  which,  uprooted,  might 
come  crashing  down  upon  our  deck,  or  from  some  big 
limb  torn  off.  But  as  there  was  not  much  probability 
of  such  an  occurrence,  we  remained  where  we  were, 
hoping  that  it  might  not  happen.  As  the  gale  gave 
no  signs  of  abating,  our  three  Indians  swam  on  shore, 
Kallolo  with  his  blow-pipe,  and  the  other  two  with 
their  bows,  to  kill  some  game.  After  safely  landing, 
they  were  soon  lost  to  sight  amid  the  trees. 

The  skipper  would  allow  no  one  else  to  go.  *'  It 
will  not  be  wise  to  be  left  short-handed,  in  case  any- 
thing should  happen,"  he  observed.  "  We  know  not 
what  may  occur." 

As  we  saw  no  signs  of  inhabitants,  we  did  not  ex- 
pect to  be  visited  either  by  friends  or  foes  ;  still,  had 
the  latter  appeared,  they  might  have  been  tempted  to 
come  on  board  from  seeing  but  few  people  on  the 
vessel's  deck. 

Night  came  on,  and  the  Indians  not  having  re- 
turned, we  began  at  length  to  grow  anxious  about 
them.       The   gale  had    not  abated,   and   we  thought 


THE  SKIPPERS  VEXATION.  385 

that,  knowing  we  should  not  move,  they  had  been  in- 
duced to  go  further  than  they  had  intended.  They 
would  not  desert  us — of  that  we  were  very  sure  ;  in- 
deed, both  Kallolo  and  Maco  had  their  families  residing 
in  the  neiofhbourhood  of  Stabroek,  and  were  anxious 
to  return  to  them.  Half  of  our  party  kept  watch  at 
night,  while  the  rest  lay  down,  ready  to  start  up  in  a 
moment. 

Towards  morning  the  wind  began  to  decrease,  and 
the  skipper  did  not  conceal  his  vexation  at  the  non- 
appearance of  the  Indians.  "  If  the  wind  becomes 
fair,  we  must  sail  and  leave  them  behind,"  he  ex- 
claimed. "  They  ought  to  have  known  better  than  to 
go  so  far  away." 

Uncle  Paul,  however,  tried  to  excuse  them,  and  ex- 
] pressed  his  belief  that  they  would  not  intentionally 
have  delayed  returning.  "  The  wind  has  not  yet  gone 
down  or  changed,"  he  said  ;  "  and  as  we  cannot  pos- 
sibly sail,  Kallolo,  who  knows  this,  sees  that  it  is  not 
absolutely  necessary  to  return.  Let  us  wait  patiently ; 
they  will  come  back  before  long." 

The  sun  arose  ;  the  clouds  dispersed,  but  still  the 
wind  blew  against  us.  After  an  hour  or  more  had 
})assed,  however,  on  looking  out  we  perceived  that  the 
tree-tops  no  longer  waved  ;  and  on  glancing  aci'oss  the 
river  we  found  that  its  surface,  hitherto  broken  into 
foaming  waves,  had  become  perfectly  calm. 

"  The  wind   is  about  to   change,  and   we  ought  to 

(540)  25 


3S6  A  HURRIED  RETURN. 

have  been  out  of  this  place,"  exclaimed  the  skipper. 
"  We  must  get  up  the  anchor  and  row  off  into  the 
channel.  The  fellows  will  have  a  longer  swim,  that's 
all." 

"You  would  not  desert  them,  surely,"  said  Uncle 
Paul. 

"  Well,  I  should  be  sorry  to  do  so.  We  will  Avait 
a  bit,  and  see  if  they  come.  I  hope  nothing  has 
happened  to  the  poor  men,"  said  the  kind-hearted 
skipper,  who  had  never  really  intended  to  leave  the 
Indians  behind,  and  whose  anger  had  now  given  way 
to  anxiety  on  their  account.  He  even  proposed  send- 
ing Sambo  on  shore  to  try  and  discover  what  had  be- 
come of  them  ;  but  Uncle  Paul  dissuaded  him  from 
this,  as,  had  they  been  taken  prisoners,  or  got  into 
any  other  difficulty,  the  black  would  run  a  great  risk 
of  sharing  their  fate.  Still  we  delayed.  At  last  the 
skipper,  with  a  sigh,  exclaimed,  ''  We  must  get  up  the 
anchor,  Peter  ;  the  poor  fellows  would  have  come  back 
before  this  if  they  were  coming  at  all." 

Uncle  Paul  no  longer  made  any  objections.  We 
shortened  in  the  cable,  but  it  required  all  our  strength 
to  haul  up  the  ponderous  anchor.  W^e  had  managed 
to  lift  it  out  of  its  oozy  bed,  when  we  heard  a  shout, 
and  looking  up  we  saw  the  three  natives  rushing 
through  the  forest.  Without  stopping  for  a  moment 
they  dashed  into  the  water.  As  they  swam  off  they 
called  out  to  us    to   heave    them   ropes.      They  were 


AN  ALARMING  POSITION.  387 

quickly  alongside  ;  and  even  before  they  had  scrambled 
on  board  Kallolo  cried  out,  "Get  under  way!  get  under 
way  !      No  time  to  be  lost !  " 

"  That's  just  what  we  were  about  to  do,"  said  the 
skipper  ;  "  but  why,  after  keeping  us  so  long,  are  you 
in  so  great  a  hurry  ?  " 

"  We  could  not  help  the  delay  ;  but  there's  no  time 
to  be  lost.  We  will  tell  you  all  about  it  presently. 
Get  under  way  !   get  under  way  !  "  repeated  Kallolo. 

As  he  spoke,  he  and  his  companions  sprang  forward 
to  assist  in  hoisting  up  and  securing  the  anchor.  The 
oars  were  then  got  out,  and  the  vessel's  head  was  so 
directed  that  she  might  get  round  the  point  of  laud 
which  had  served  to  shelter  us.  The  sails  were  in 
the  meantime  loosed,  so  as  to  sheet  home  as  soon  as 
they  filled.  Kallolo  and  the  other  Indians  were  pull- 
ing so  lustily  at  the  oars,  that  they  had  no  time  to  tell 
us  what  had  happened ;  but  I  saAV  them  looking 
anxiously  up  the  river. 

As  we  got  out  into  the  stream,  clear  of  the  long 
point  which  had  hitherto  concealed  the  upper  part  of 
the  river  from  our  view,  we  saw  a  large  vessel  under 
all  sail  standing  down  towards  us.  Her  appearance 
was  sufficient  to  account  for  their  alarm.  There  could 
be  no  doubt  that  she  was  Spanish,  and  that,  should 
she  overtake  us,  we  should  be  captured  and  carried  to 
their  settlement  of  Angostura ;  where  we  should  cer- 
tainly be  thrown  into  prison,  and  very  probably  lose 


388  CHASED  BY  A  SPANISH  VESSEL. 

our  lives.  As  might  be  supposed,  we  all  pulled  away 
with  redoubled  efforts,  till  we  made  the  long  oars 
crack.  Fortunately  the  Spaniard  had  but  little  wind, 
and  we  were  well  able  to  keep  ahead  of  her  ;  but 
should  a  breeze  come  she  would  probably  get  it  first, 
and  bring  it  up  with  her,  and  too  probably  overtake  us. 

"  Courage,  my  friends  !  courage  1 "  exclaimed  the 
Ijrave  skipper.  "  The  Good  Hope  is  not  captured  yet. 
She  will  prove  no  laggard,  depend  on  that,  and  may 
have  as  fast  a  pair  of  heels  as  our  enemy." 

We  turned  our  eyes  anxiously  at  the  vessel  astern. 
It  was  possible  that  those  on  board  might  not  suspect 
who  we  were,  and  that  she  might  be  only  sailing  down 
the  river  without  the  intention  of  chasing  us.  Still, 
should  she  come  up  with  the  Good  Hope,  they  would 
certainly  send  on  board  and  discover  that  we  were 
foreigners,  who  had,  according  to  their  notions,  no  busi- 
ness to  be  in  the  Orinoco. 

At  length  we  saw  a  light  wind  was  playing  across 
the  stream,  and  our  sails  were  rigged  out.  It  came  right 
aft.  Away  we  flew,  the  canvas  of  the  Spaniard 
filling  at  the  same  time.  On  and  on  we  sped,  but  the 
Spaniard  seemed  to  move  through  the  water  fully  as 
fast.  Kallolo  now  told  us  how,  after  having  had  a  suc- 
cessful hunt,  he  and  his  companions  were  returning  on 
the  previous  evening,  expecting  to  get  on  board  before 
nightfall,  when  they  found  themselves  on  the  opposite 
side   of  the   bay.      Suddenly  a  party   of  white   men, 


A  FAST  LITTLE  CRAFT.  389 

whom  they  took  to  be  hunters,  sprang  out  on  them 
and  made  them  prisoners.  The  strangers  had  seen  the 
Good  Hope,  and  had  managed  to  draw  from  them  the 
information  that  those  on  board  were  Enghsh  and 
Dutch.  On  hearing  this,  their  captors  had  despatclied 
two  of  their  party  up  the  river,  where  a  Spanish 
guardacosta  lay  at  anchor.  They  pretended  to  be 
very  indifferent  as  to  what  had  happened  ;  and  the 
Spaniards,  who  in  reality  belonged  to  the  vessel,  were 
thrown  off  their  guard.  During  the  night  Kallolo  and 
his  companions  managed  to  make  their  escape,  and 
finding  no  canoe  in  which  to  cross  the  bay,  had  hastened 
round  by  the  shore  to  warn  us  of  our  danger.  It  was 
now  clear  that  the  Spanish  vessel  was  following  us 
with  hostile  intentions,  and  that  should  she  overtake 
us  we  might  suffer  the  fate  we  apprehended. 

But  "  a  stern  chase  is  a  long  chase,"  and  the  Good 
Hope  proved  herself  a  fast  little  craft.  As  she  drew 
but  a  few  feet  of  water,  we  were  able  to  keep  a  straight 
course,  whereas  the  larger  vessel  had  to  deviate  from 
hers  several  times  ;  thus  by  nightfall  we  had  drawn 
considerably  ahead. 

On  the  previous  night  we  had  slept  but  little  ;  this 
night  not  one  of  us  closed  our  eyes.  We  could  just 
see  the  lofty  sails  of  the  Spaniard  gliding  after  us  like 
some  ferocious  giant  eager  for  our  destruction.  The 
wind  increased,  and  she  was  evidently  making  more 
rapid  way.      On  and  on  she  came.      Presently  the  loud 


390  ON  THE  OCEAN  WAVE. 

sound  of  a  piece  of  ordnance  boomed  through  the 
night  ear,  and  the  shot  splashed  into  the  water  close 
astern  of  us. 

"  A  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile,"  said  the  skipper, 
who  was  at  the  helm,  in  his  usual  quiet  tone.  "  We 
will  not  give  in,  though  a  dozen  such  pop-guns  as  she 
carries  should  be  fired  at  us." 

Another  shot  came  whistling  past  our  quarter,  and 
dropped  alongside  ;   a  third  came,  and  that  fell  astern. 

"  We  passed  over  some  shallow  water  just  now," 
said  Peter,  who  was  sounding  with  a  pole. 

"  Ah,  and  the  Spaniard  too  has  found  out  that  the 
water  is  shallow.  See!  see!  she's  on  shoi^e ! "  ex- 
claimed the  skipper. 

As  we  looked  astern  we  saw  that  the  vessel  chasing 
us  had  let  all  her  sails  fly.  On  we  glided.  She  grew 
fainter  and  fainter,  till  we  could  barely  distinguish  her 
outline.  We  all  began  to  breathe  more  freely.  In 
less  than  half  an  hour  we  could  no  longer  discern  her. 
We  stood  on,  and  when  the  sun  rose  right  ahead  no 
sail  was  in  sight. 

The  weather  continued  fine,  and  in  a  few  days  the 
Good  Hope  was  rising  buoyantly  on  the  ocean  wave, 
her  head  directed  to  the  southward. 

Stabroek  was  soon  reached,  and  our  brave  skipper, 
who  was  well-known  there,  introduced  us  to  his  friends, 
to  whom  he  recounted  our  adventures,  and  secured  us 
a  warm  reception. 


OUR  KETURN  TO  TRINIDAD.  391 

I  must  not  stop  to  describe  our  stay  at  the  capital  of 
the  then  Dutch  colony  of  Guiana.  ^ly  father  at  length 
received  news  from  Trinidad  which  once  more  raised  his 
drooping  spirits.  An  enlightened  naval  officer,  Don 
Josef  Chacon,  had  been  appointed  governor.  He  had 
expelled  the  dissolute  monks,  and  abolished  the  In- 
quisition ;  besides  granting  fertile  lands  to  new  colon- 
ists, assisting  them  with  cattle  and  implements  of  hus- 
bandry, and  providing  for  the  free  exercise  of  mer- 
cantile affairs.  We  might  return  in  safety.  We 
accordingly  forthwith  embarked  on  board  a  vessel  com- 
manded by  our  good  friend  Captain  van  Dunk,  and 
arrived  safely  in  the  colony.  Doctor  Antonio  had  ad- 
ministered my  father's  affairs  with  honesty  and  wis- 
dom, and  at  once  delivered  over  his  estate  to  him,  re- 
fusing to  receive  more  than  a  very  moderate  recom- 
pense for  the  services  he  had  rendered. 

Our  affairs  flourished,  but  my  father  never  entirely 
recovered  his  health.  In  a  very  few  years  he  died, 
and  was  buried  by  the  side  of  our  poor  mother. 
Uncle  Paul  had  never  lost  his  affection  for  our  beloved 
Pennsylvania,  nor  had  Arthur  or  I  ;  so  at  my  father's 
death  we  disposed  of  our  property  in  Trinidad,  which 
realized  not  only  sufficient  to  pay  off  all  my  father's 
liabihties,  but  to  secure  the  means  for  carrying  on  a 
mercantile  business  in  our  native  land. 

Years  have  passed  since  then.  The  battle  for  inde- 
pendence has  been  fought  and  won.      Marian  long  ago 


392  CONCLUSION. 

became  Arthur's  bride  ;  and  I  have  a  wife  of  my  own, 
who,  although  she  has  never  stirred  out  of  her  native 
land,  knows  as  much  about  our  adventures  as  we  do. 
Uncle  Paul  remained  a  bachelor  to  the  end  of  his 
days,  with  Sambo  as  his  attendant ;  and  faithful  Tim, 
who  married  a  fair  daughter  of  Erin  from  the  ''  ould 
country,"  refusing  to  quit  us,  still  remains  in  our 
service ;  while  Captain  van  Dunk,  w4io  entered  the 
American  navy,  after  ploughing  the  seas  for  many 
a  year  has  settled  down  on  a  farm  near  us,  where  he 
ploughs  the  land  with  the  same  energy  and  persever- 
ance he  ever  exhibited.  Of  course,  as  may  be  sup- 
posed, Marian  and  I  often  narrate  to  our  children  the 
adventures  we  met  with  "  in  the  wilds  of  Trinidad  and 
the  Orinoco." 


S'A 


1 


"Ms 


